


Made of Iron

by Chibi_Luna



Category: Iron Man (Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, Butler Jarvis, Charles Has Issues, Charles Xavier Needs a Hug, Charles Xavier needs help, Child Abuse, Don't mess with her brothers, Gen, Growing Up Together, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Hurt Charles Xavier, Hurt Raven, Hurt Tony Stark, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, It doesn't happen but it is a warning about behavior, Kid Charles Xavier, Kid Tony Stark, Kurt Marko is an ass, Maria Stark tried to be a decent parent, Minor Character Death, Physical Abuse, Protective Jarvis, Protective Raven | Mystique, Protective Tony Stark, Raven is here to help, Raven is more than a pretty face, Raven will kick ass, Sharon could do so much better, She has so many skills, They will be happy I swear!!, Tony Stark Has Issues, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark needs help, Why am I allowed to do this?, preteen Raven
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:41:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 28,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24482191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chibi_Luna/pseuds/Chibi_Luna
Summary: Tony Stark is a Stark, and a Stark is made of Iron.They are men of Iron.Three words that Tony repeats when he begins to feel anything that his father would frown on. He is made of iron. He may have come third to Captain America and work where his father was involved but his mother tried. She tried until he was ten and he was too big for anyone to look after him. He decides he is better off on his own, he sneaks out of his house with a bag of clothes and a wallet full of money.That's when he meets a girl who can change how she looks. He has noticed that she was made of iron too. So when they break into the mansion upstate Tony feels like he knows this house.Tags will be updated as it goes.
Relationships: Raven | Mystique & Tony Stark & Charles Xavier
Comments: 21
Kudos: 62





	1. House Of The Rising Son

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this thought for over a year. It started as a small 'What if Raven met Tony instead of Charles" then it went to "but she wouldn't be able to break into his house" and from there I worked to fix and find out what would be right to make this happened. I left the idea after I reached roughly 5,000 words, I left it because other things came up and recently I have picked it up. I cannot commit to a schedule but I will update any chance I get.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this story, let me know what you think.
> 
> Oh! This is not beta proofed. If anyone wants to help, I would love that. I have tried to proof it myself but it hardly ends well.

Stark men **are**.

  
Made of Iron.

Men of Iron.

Three words, a phrase Tony has known since he was born, in one way or another.

“Stark men are made of Iron.” His father would spit angrily when he was drunk, upset, or done with Tony’s ‘tantrums’.

“Men of iron, do you good to always remember that, boy.” Howard would walk out Tony’s bedroom. Tony’s cheek burning, stomach hurting, side aching, or sometimes just his insides. Tony only wanted to wish Howard a happy birthday, he should have known better.

Howard’s birthday was not the best times and Tony has been witness of them for the last eight years.

“Of course, father.” Tony’s small voice answers, it may not be the best thing to say but he has to say something to avoid more reprimanding. Howard slams the room door shut swishing his bottle of whiskey in the other hand.

“Born a Stark.” Tony begins to recite holding back tears he knows will just anger his father more, gripping to his sobs until Jarvis checks on him. “Being a Stark means I am born from strong stuff. A man made of Iron. Stark men are made of iron.” Tony whispers curling up into himself.

Nine years of life and Tony already knows more than most, he had been told so by his old teachers. Old teachers because his father made sure he would get collage level professors for the future of his blood, of his name. Even if he is still forced to go to an actual school. Tony knows his father only cares for two things and his mother and self are not it.

  
“Young master Anthony?” A light knock comes from the door and Tony knows that voice, he has always found it a source of support when his parents were not in the room. Tony takes a deep breath and stands slowly careful not to limp as he walks to the door. He knows Jarvis knows but no need to have others worry, he can be a Stark.

“Yes?” He opens the door to the older man, hair going white and his butler suit in place without a single hair out of place. Tony opens the door wider and walks back in to his bed and slowly sitting.

“What happened?” Jarvis asks as he closes the door after coming in. He follows Tony to stand in front of Tony who is sitting on the side of the bed with a slight grimace.

“I made father a small bot, programmed it to display ‘Happy Birthday’ but it bugged out.” Tony looks down at his hands picking at his nails, “The small bot knocked over his coffee mug and,” his voice cracks and lowers to a stop.

“Do you still have the bot?” Jarvis asks knowing what happened next, it’s a too common occurrence in Jarvis’ opinion. Tony slowly looks up and nods just a little. Tony points at his writing desk by the window where a small grey rectangle with toy tires on the side of each corner. The top of the rectangle had a glass screen and Jarvis notices the cracks on it and how the tires look to be crooked. He picks it up and he will never pretend to really understand how Tony manages these things but he is always impressed. “This looks like it took a while to make.”

“No really.” Tony whispers, voice too rough, “only took two days, I had most of the parts laying around.” He finishes almost ashamed.

“That is quick work, it looks like it worked like it should.” Jarvis tries, he knows that at this point praising the child wouldn’t change his mind since his father already made it clear what he thought. It always makes Jarvis sick with sadness that Tony finds it hard to accept honest complaints, the child always find it easier to accept that his work is never good and that there will always be something wrong.

“Quick but no good, it was too simple.” Tony glares at the small bot in the butler’s hands, almost as if accusing it for all of the wrongs in the world. Jarvis can hear how much Tony blames himself for everything. In moments like this, he wonders how Howard could have changed so much from the first time he met the man, in his younger years.

  
The older man sighs, “I think it was a great idea, a little more work, but good.” He tries again.

  
Tony slides back on his bed slowly, “I’ll get your sleeping clothes.” Jarvis places the bot back before walking to Tony’s large closet and pulls out a large shirt with shorts. Tony hates wearing pants to bed, anything past his knees makes it too hot for him. It was a funny quirk Jarvis discovered after several mornings he would wake Tony up as a toddler. Maria would always make him wear long bottoms and Tony would take them off and laying them next to him.

“Does father hate me?” Tony whispers so quietly that Jarvis is not sure he was meant to hear. When he turns around holding Tony’s sleeping clothes he sees Tony talking to his Captain America poster on the ceiling above his bed. A poster Jarvis helped him put up when he was seven and thought that maybe is Captain American watched over him, everything would get better, Maybe he would be better.

The thoughts makes Jarvis glad he didn't quit all those years ago, Tony needs someone he can hurt to not hurt him.

Once Tony get down to his boxers, Jarvis takes a moment to rub heating and cooling ointment on the bruises, he helps Tony dress for bed and pull the covers from under him and pulls them to his chest.

“Thank you.” Tony whispers as he lays in bed still looking at Captain America. Jarvis gives a small ‘hm’ in response and walks out.

Sometimes he wonders how much Tony will take before his father’s abuse really breaks him, if it hasn’t happened already. Jarvis hates thinking about Tony in that manner. Tony, the same small boy who builds amazing things; Tony, the same nine year old who when he was told he would be sent to boarding school began to lose sleep to be better at everything that was placed in front of him. Several people wishing to have a son as smart as Tony but not wanting his attitude. Tony, the same boy who no matter how many times Howard tells him he is no good, he still tries. Tony who learns what his mother says so she can show him off to her friends. Tony the small boy who seems to not know how to make friends his age because he mimics his father which makes him enemies not friends.

  
Jarvis is not surprised when a month after Tony’s tenth birthday and one really bad (one-sided) fight Tony runs away.

It started with Maria and Howard arguing if Tony still needed a nanny, Howard’s last word was no and so the nanny was fired. Maria only talked to Howard when they were in public and Tony knew what that meant. Jarvis saw Howard drinking more and more until Tony began to tear up about falling the last few steps from the stairs. Maria was concerned and called a doctor. Howard on the other had was already irritated and the whiskey in his hand he whispered words that had him taking it out on Tony.

“Steve would have gotten up like it was nothing!” he shouts in Tony’s room giving the child one hard back slap. “You can’t even walk down the stairs without making yourself look foolish!” he pushes Tony to the ground.

Tony bites back everything he wants to say, ‘he is not Steve Rogers’ ‘he is not a super soldier’ ‘he is just Tony’ ‘Sorry being Tony is not as great as being Steven fucking Rogers.’ He needn’t say those words because Howard knows them. In that moment Howard looks in disgust at the child and kicks, Tony sees it coming and curls into a ball to protect his stomach. It always hurts worse when his stomach gets a direct hit.

  
“Captain America would be ashamed.” Howard slurs with a final weak kick and storms out. Maria was out in the car waiting on her son and husband, ignoring the problem as she learned to do. Before she could think about checking on them Howard walks out the house fixing his hair and suit, “the boy wants to stay home.”

  
“Howard,” Maria begins when he glares, “I really wish you wouldn’t start drinking so soon.”

  
“Maria, lets not.” Howard sits in the car next to his wife and lays his head back thinking.

  
“Anthony?” Jarvis opens the door to the room rushing in. He had just been told by a maid who was too scared to stop Howard. “Come on.” Jarvis scoops Tony up and Tony growls, “let me go!”

  
Tony tries to push Jarvis away but his body hurts and it’s been a month since he was given any form of embrace. His birthday gift his mother was a hug and a gift with a forced Howard-hug and a happy birthday before bringing him two presents and leaving for his lab.

  
“The doctor had already said you were injured and he,” Jarvis whispers in a cold tone that Tony freezes. “That man.” They both knew why Jarvis hardly ever stopped Howard. Howard would have him busy elsewhere or Jarvis would wait because getting fired would leaving Tony alone in a house where his father ruled with an iron fist.

  
“I want to sleep.” Tony demands. Jarvis begins their night routine, tending to Tony’s injuries and getting him into his sleeping clothes.

  
“Master Anthony,” Jarvis begins, Tony slowly turns to look at the wall, back facing Jarvis, “if you need anything, shout for me. You parents will not be back for a couple of hours, if at all.” Tony lifts his arm slow and makes a ‘go away’ gesture before slowly lowering it to his side as he hears the door close.

  
Jarvis stands by the door and he hears Tony’s soft sobs, small muffled words he already know to by ‘why?’ and a mix of ‘stop crying’ or ‘Stark men don’t cry’. Jarvis hates that even if he goes to the police it will do Tony no good, Howard would have charmed them, make a donation, and then take it out on Tony.

  
The following week Tony is busy doing some work or another for his classes. Howard is always at work or in his lab. Maria tries to feed both of them though he gets more eaten from Howard than Tony.

  
That following Thursday morning when Jarvis goes to wake Tony up he is greeted by a note on the bed:

  
_Jarvis, I know you will be the first to come to my room, so if you would please not tell anyone I have left. Knowing you, you will inform mother before father that I have left. I am ten and as father has said I am becoming a man, thus I’m leaving. I will come back some day but for now I would like to leave._  
_-Tony_

  
Jarvis sighs, if he pretends not to notice he will worry worse than Tony’s parents. Maria would call the police and Howard would work to get the kid back but only because ‘what will people think’ and ‘doesn’t that boy know his actions have consequences?’ Jarvis always feels like he should answer him ‘of course he does, you make sure he knows every time he makes the smallest mistake.’

  
“Mrs. Stark!” Jarvis calls out. At least she will worry with him for Tony’s well being. He hides the note in his pocket before he rushes down to Mrs. Stark’s bedroom. Separate rooms really doesn't help a child who already has so many problems.

  
He sees Maria walk out her room dressed and ready to go out, “Ma’am, Master Anthony is gone.” Jarvis says before Maria can find some way to tell him shouting in the house is not acceptable.

  
Her face goes from calm to panic to mad and settles on worry, “have you had the others look for him?” Jarvis and Maria begin to look for Tony hoping he had just left that morning.

  
Tony, ten year old Tony, looks down at his book bag and sighs, he will be a man. He is tough and will go on his own.

  
“Watch it kid!” A older man with black hear and a resting frown pushes pass Tony. Tony keeps walking. 

  
When he makes it to a corner store he has seem many times on his way home after some function or another where he would be used to look good, Tony knows he is close to the park. He had always wanted to go, just wasn’t allowed. The sun is already up and he knows Jarvis must have already found his note. If he waits he might have a good hour to make it closer, if not, then hopefully his mom has already left and his father is too busy in his lab to care.

  
Whatever happens he will not see his face in the news nor on posters around the city, his father would hate to make it public knowledge that he ‘has no control’ over his son. Tony did try to change how he looked a little before leaving the night before. He ruffled his hair letting it fall where it wants, put on his oldest shirt and pair of jeans. He knows that hinting at money without proper protection would mean kidnapping, at least that’s what his father would repeat. If anything, Tony will say that his father did teach him how to hide. He still walks the road with confidence he is not full of but he has to make it show that he is comfortable walking on his own.

  
His stomach growls as he passes the third hotdog stand and decides it best to eat something, even if it’s street food. His mother has made it clear it’s not something he should eat and his father would be glad if Tony never saw them on the rare family walks.

  
“Can I get a hot dog?” Tony asks and the vender gives him a once over before answering with a rough and harsh voice, “and how will you pay?”

  
“Money.” Tony answers biting all the smart remarks that are bubbling up and just adds a raised eyebrow. “Just add ketchup and mustard to it.” Tony orders remembering his father’s voice that always has his PA’s tripping over themselves to get his orders done. He must not do such a great imitation because the man frowns and glares, “go home kid.”

  
Tony sighs, he knows pulling out more than small bills might cause trouble so he reaches in his pocket and moves his hand around to feel one bill and luckily he pulls out a five dollar bill, “can I get a hot dog now?” he asks irritated. The vender glares as he moves his arms around to prepare Tony’s request.

  
Tony hands him the bill and begins to eat, calmly, as the man gets his change. As the man hands him his change Tony hums in thanks and walks off as his finishes his food. He see a small girl walking around, older, almost scared. He tries to walk to her but when she sees him watching she runs. Tony shrugs his shoulders and walks off. The day just started and he knows that finding a good place to sleep is best. If only he was older, taller, he might be able to book a room for the night.

  
He picked this, he has to now just make it through the day, maybe buy things to make things, if he comes back home with some great invention Howard would finally tell him he did a good job, or better give a meaningful hug.

  
Tony keeps walking finding a park to stay at for a while blending with kids who have their nannies or parents watching them, well at least present to give the illusion of being supervised. It’s good that they aren’t paying him much mind since he sits down next to a bench where three women sit reading. Tony pulls out some paper and pencil to begin designing all kinds of things that come to mind. He is in his head so he doesn’t notice when the woman closest to him begins looking over his head to his paper.

  
“What is that?” She asks and Tony turns his papers over and looks up.

  
“Sorry?”

“What were you drawing? It looked,” she crunches her nose to think of something to say, “interesting.” She settles on. Tony frowns thoughtfully, he is sure she wouldn’t understand his redesign of his birthday bot, changing it from birthday to a fighting bot, because he father makes weapons so if he makes some, he will- “drawing a picture of things I saw in a book.” He smiles. He has to stop thinking about his father, he left him behind. There is no need to bring him up.

“What kind of books do your parents give you?” She asks somewhat interested and Tony begins to put his papers away, careful not to fold them worse than he did when he abruptly turned them around.

“All kinds,” Tony stands, “I should get back.” He begins to walk away when sees the same girl from that morning again. He frowns and walks to her while looking at the shops giving an uninterested look so she won’t run again.

“Hey, sweety.” A man who looks to be Howard’s age calls out almost like a purr and Tony looks at the girl. She is taller, blonde hair, and dressed in old clothes. She looked uncomfortable under the man’s gaze. Tony stops for a second to think about what to do. He looks at the man who is a little shorter than Howard but in his white wife beater and gold chain and watch clear to see. Tony’s nose wrinkle, no taste, he hears his mother’s voice whisper in disgust. The wife beater marked with stains and the man’s jeans dirty and a peak of toes, sandals. Tony can just imagine his mother talk about how some people have no taste in wardrobe or personal hygiene.

“Are you lost?” Another man, not as old as the first man, follows up. He is going bald with white hair around his head, his face pig like and his body similar to a pig, Tony notes. He looks at the girl once more to see her scared eyes turn around. People are walking by, but as the men begin to touch the girl’s hair, Tony knows what to do.

He breaks into a run, “Mary! Come on!” He calls out, “mother and father are worried sick.” Tony gets close to the girl and his shouting attracts attention. “They are ready to call the police and call you missing.” Tony walks pass the men who are backing away slowly as a few more people look at the kids. “I swear, you’ll give them a heart attack on of these days. Come on.” Tony grabs her hand and she lets him pull her.

“Mary, they went to Uncle Joe and you know how he gets when we miss dinner at his apartment.” Tony keeps talking. “Not to mention Untie Peggy, she will have us over her knee if we cause more trouble.”

“I’m sorry.” The girl answers and Tony sighs, “don’t be, just stop going off on your own.” Tony turns a corner and as the people who he counted to look start getting smaller and disappearing. “When we get back we are going to get a stern lecture. You know how much I hate those.” Tony slows his pace slowly lets go of the girl’s hand as he pulls them into an ally with less people around.

“I’m sorry if you knew them, but that didn’t look like it was going to end well.” Tony began, “Jarvis told me how to avoid things like that.”

The girl just looks at the girl when he looks her in the eyes and they change yellow. Tony blinks and titles his head.

“I have to go.” The girl tries to run when Tony grabs her hand, “I saw you this morning,” Tony begins to think back through the day and remembers seeing a blonde girl at the park, “were you following me or did I,” Tony stop when he sees the girl’s arm turn blue with scales then back to flesh.

The girl backs up pulling her hand from Tony’s and begins to look around for an exit.

“How did you do that?” Tony asks genuinely curious leaving enough brain function to know that reaching out again will not be good.

“No, you must be seeing things.” The girls slowly back up and Tony watches as patches of skin begin to change to blue scales then back to her current skin. Tony begins to smile and lets his mouth run, “That’s so cool! How does that happen? Is it an emotional thing? Can you control it? How much can change?”

“I don’t- I’m” Mary’s mouth closes when her stomach growls.

Tony takes a moment to realize that he too is hungry and that hotdog was over five hours ago. He looks at the girl, “I’ll get us some food, want to come?”

The girl stands close to the wall of a brick building, looking down at her hands, “then again, I don’t think they will listen much to me if I try to order for the two of us.” Tony whispers to himself and Mary looks up, “what’s you name?” she asks in a near whisper.

“Anth-” Tony stops halfway and settles that saying Anthony is too formal and the girl also looks like a runaway, “Tony, call me Tony.”

The girl looks closer into Tony’s eyes, she must see what she wants because she finally smiles, “Raven,” she looks down at her hands again, “please don’t get scared.” She pleads and Tony nods smiling.

Raven’s skin begins to change, more like her skin takes less than a second to change to scales the same tan skin but flipping to a lighter tone and with each flip she grows a little taller. Tony watches in awe and pure fascination, “That is truly beautiful.” Tony whispers, “so what about the blue?” he asks off handily.

Raven flinches a little and Tony knows that reaction, “you don’t have to show me. It’s fine.” Raven nods before going through the same change but instead of a lighter or darker tone her skin is blue, some scales visible and Tony smiles. “Can I?” he reaches out and Raven nods slowly.

Tony jumps to touch the scales on the shoulder and the ones on her face. He walks around muttering, “amazing” “wonderful” “truly beautiful” “May I?” as he walks around her touching when given a nod and holding his hand when he gets a head shake. “I really like this skin better.” He declares after he was done looking her over.

“You’ll be the first and only.” Raven signs in defeat and Tony frowns, “I’m honored to be the first, but I won’t be the last.” Tony tugs his bag straps, “you’ll see.”

Raven gives a small smile and then changes into a grown woman Tony is sure he had seen that morning. Their stomach growl again and they head off to find someplace to eat. As they walk Tony holds on to Raven’s hand. When ordering Tony whispers his own and Raven gives her, the cashier find Tony cute and tells ‘his mother’ so. Raven smiles and thanks them. Tony hands the money and when the change is given back they hand it to Raven who later gives it back to Tony.

As Tony assumed he was better greeted with an adult, even if the adult might be the same age as him, but the people don’t need to know. While they eat Tony takes his time and they finish in silence.

When they leave Tony looks around to see there are still a lot of people and he decides that it’s time he begins looking for a place to sleep.

“Where do you live?” Tony ask and Raven frowns, “I don’t have one place.”

“Okay, where will you sleep?” Tony tries again.

“Don’t know.” Raven loosens Tony’s hand a little but Tony holds on to it, “then lets go find a place.” Tony smiles. He has enough for a while, he didn’t bring much.

Raven looks down at Tony and smiles, “okay.”

Before the night is out, Tony and Raven are in a cheap motel that doesn’t ask questions just asks for the money up front. Tony buys them two nights and two days starting that night. Raven changes back to her blue self when Tony closes and locks the door.

The room is small and nasty but he will have to deal. It’s not his curtains or queen size bed with satin sheets, but it will have to do.

“Do you really like this?” Raven looks at Tony, searching for something, and Tony nods, “of course, you’re different. I’m different too, maybe not like you but I am.”

“What can you do?” Raven asks slowly walking closer. Tony begins to tell her about being about to make a robot and his past accomplishments, or what his mother calls accomplishments because they were never good enough.

“That is amazing,” Raven says in the same tone Tony used on her when looking her over, “you must be the smartest person alive!”

Tony frowns, “I’m not, father is a lot smarter.” Tony says giving a harsh laugh, “I’m stupid compared.”

Raven shakes her head, “you aren’t, you’re super smart. No matter what others say, I’ll tell everyone. How many people can build robots that move on their own?”

Tony gives a small smile, “a lot, but thank you.”

They shower and Tony gives Raven some of his clothes. When they are done and changed Tony realizes he doesn’t have enough clothes and wishes he had more money and planed it out better. For now, he is okay, in a bed, he has found a partner who will, maybe, stay by him, even if he knows he will mess it up and she will leave him.

By the time the sun sets Tony is laying down and Raven crawls in the bed with Tony ignoring the fact that they got a double bed room. Yeah, maybe she will stay with him, Tony wishes as he lets his eyes to close and lets sleep take him.

 _Maybe I can have this_. Raven thinks before she curls closer to the younger boy and lets the dark locks tickle her face. She likes this one, maybe she won't scare him away.


	2. And So We Carry On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took a hell of a time to get around to finishing this chapter. Work and life has me tired as can be. Though I guess I can now say that I will be updating every other weekend. If I can update before then, I will.
> 
> I want to thank everyone who read this, thank you so much.
> 
> I hope this next part does not disappoint. I proof read this myself so, it might still have some errors, do let me know. 
> 
> Enjoy.

The morning greets Tony in a strange place, a blue girl curled next to him, and a feeling that he might have finally made a friend.

They get up and Tony decides he can probably convince the owner to give them more days in the room if he and his ‘mom’ fix what’s broken around the motel.

“Come on Raven, all you have to tell him is that you’ll work for a place to sleep. I’ll be doing the work.” Tony tells her after going to the corner shop to buy a bit of food. Raven is not sold but Tony gets her to say yes.

“Sir,” Tony calls out to the owner of the motel and is greeted with the same dog faced man from the night before. He gives a grunt of attention and Raven begins to talk, “Sir, I was wondering if I could work around here in exchange for a room. It’ll be cheaper than paying professionals.” She rushes out and Tony smiles.

The man really must not care or just does not care anymore because he just nods and grunts, “depending on how well you do I’ll add more nights.” Raven nods. Tony mentally high fives himself.

They spend part of the day fixing heaters, six of them and Tony makes sure to fix them well enough that if they are turned too high, he will need to fix them. All so he will be needed again. Besides, he does not want to bring too much attention to Raven or himself.

When they are done Tony goes to the library and looks at books on pluming. He had noticed a lot of people seem to mess up the plumping and just leave. He has heard the owner grumble about it.

Raven walks around as an adult and finds things to see while Tony reads. They make it good, Tony avoiding the police, cameras, and hiding while sticking to Raven’s side when in public so they give the mother son vibe to cover who they are.

It’s been almost two weeks when Tony begins to hear people on the street murmur about how he went missing. He doesn’t look at the news because he hears it as Raven is ‘fixing’ the A/C in the front desk and the owner left them alone while he took his lunch. In that week he had begun leaving Raven and Tony at the desk when he wants to leave.

The TV is always on the news and he hears, “It’s been over a week since Maria and Howard Stark announced their son, Anthony Edward Stark, missing.” The lead anchor announces in a slightly scandalized voice. Tony turns to the TV.

Raven looks up and see the picture they are flashing of Tony at one of the Galas his mother had him go a week before his tenth birthday. He has his hair combed back, in a tailored black suit with a light blue tie and pocket square to compliment his mother’s light blue winter dress. Howard was on another lead about Captain America and he called saying he might not make it back in time for Tony’s birthday. He didn’t. He was almost a week late.

“Tony?” Raven asks noticing the similarities of the boy on the TV and the one she met two weeks ago.

Tony frowns, “later?”

Raven nods and waits for Tony to finish so she can put screw the last screws and call it a day.

Later in their room Raven asks and Tony wants to cry, but he doesn’t. He is made of iron.

He does not cry.

At least not at first.

“A few weeks ago, I turned ten and my father missed it. It was not the first time he missed a birthday.” Tony starts off calm, fully in control of his emotions. “When he came back, he was not successful in his trip.”

“I was not at my best and a week after my birthday I pushed him a little too far.” Tony sighs his calm slowly slipping but Raven changes to her blue skin and curls up with him.

“How could you?” she whispers. Her voice calm but confused and Tony is forced to remember that she is nearly three years older.

“I was ready for my mother’s charity event that week.” Tony explains after a moment to gather his thoughts and emotions.

“I was being rushed so I told Jarvis I would tie my own shoes and I ran down to not cause my parents to be late. In the rush my laces come undone. I tripped and after my mother called a doctor to check on me, my father began to drink in retaliation for being late. My mother to please him went to the car and waited for him.” Tony chuckled, “How-father was furious. That night I began to get my things in order to leave. As he said, I was ten and I needed to start being a man.” Tony’s voice broke a little and Raven wraps her arms around him, as if her arms would keep everything away from them and not hurt Tony.

“Well, I’m happy to have met you.” Raven whispers into Tony’s hair.

They stay quiet. Tony may want kind words, but they weren’t given as easy as everyone believed. Honestly, Tony doesn’t expect them.

So, he let’s the tears call and because he knows Raven would never tell, he lets out chocked sobs. Kind words directed to him were mostly paid, hardly meant, or bad handed and those come from his father.

“Do you want to go back?” Raven asks voice calm but her speeding heart betraying her. She knows that if Tony is son of famous people or rich people, bad things could happen. She knows because she had seen it before on the news and in movies.

Tony freezes. Tony pulls her closer, “sometimes I do, I miss Jarvis.” Tony answers honestly, “but if I do, I’m not sure they would let you stay and I’d miss you too.”

They go quiet again and at some point, fall asleep.

Tony should have known it was too good to stay good; it’s always something with him. Happiness never lasts with him in the mix.

“Get out!” Douglas, the motel owner, shouts when he sees Raven’s blue skin in her same shape.

It was three days later when Raven was changing in their room and Tony left to get some food. Douglas was going to ask for help in another room. He opened the door and saw Raven, blue and naked. Raven blue and so small.

“Get the fuck out, you fucking freak!” He shouts at her. Tony walks back to hear those words and he drops the bag of food and runs. He pushes Douglas out the way and slams the door close as he looks at Raven.

“I’m sorry.” Raven starts and Tony shakes his head, “but he saw me.”

“No, lets just get our things.” Tony walks to the bed where he keeps his bag underneath and begins to pack as Douglas keeps shouting vulgar things through the door. Raven follows without saying a word and Tony’s mind begins to run through how much money they have, places to go, and what now’s.

“If I see you here again- I’ll, I’ll, I’ll make sure you don’t ever set foot anywhere else,” Douglas glares as he sees the two kids walk out the room. They get glances from the other residents, but one stops the man from threatening them. Sone just go back in their rooms pretending they did not see a grown man yelling at two kids.

They walk without saying a word and Raven opens her mouth to talk every other stop but always closes her mouth. Tony frowns when his stomach growls remembering they skipped lunch.

They stop near an ally and Tony asks Raven to use an adult form. Raven nods and they get food, the cheapest to save money.

That night Raven shows him one of the buildings she was sleeping in before Tony, she uses that phrase often and Tony wonders why it’s so important.

Before Tony.

“I hid some small blankets I stole.” Raven smiles a little, the smile big enough to see her pride and Tony gives the faintest of smiles. Raven sets two down in the cold cement floor of the empty two store building. Tony follows Raven as she lays down and uses another blanket, this one thicker, to cover her body. Tony gives another small smile before curling next to her. The night is cold and, in the morning, they walk around to see what they can do to get money to have for food the following day.

In the back of Tony’s mind he can still hear Douglas and somehow they are merging with Howard’s words and he tells Raven she will need to blend in for a while, he had something to do. Raven changes into one of the old residents of the motel as Tony tells her where he is going.

In the middle of the day, after a small breakfast and long walk, they make it back to the motel and Tony makes quick work on rigging the heaters and A/C’s to go to as high as he can make it. If two of them are turned on the power will flicker or go out throughout the motel. It’s not the worse Tony can do, but it will hit the man in his pockets, which he tried to keep as full as possible.

That night they sleep in an empty building with their blankets and their body heat to keep them warm in those June nights.

They only have money for two more meals at the cheapest McDonald’s. Tony doesn’t let Raven know. She is finally looking better, less skin and bones and more body mass. He asks her to change to a smaller girl and he walks around older people who will either ask about their parents to which they will say their well-rehearsed lines and get money, or they shoo them away like the ‘street rats’ they are.

In the following day they come to gather just enough for another day. Raven later sees Tony counting the money and trying to stretch it so when they run out, she tells him of a house.

“They have a lot! I don’t think they will notice a bit of food missing.” Raven says excited.

“Where?” Tony asks, trying to think of where Raven is suggesting they steal from. Even if he is not so good at it, Raven still tries to teach him.

“I don’t know the name of the place or people, just that they have a lot of money and food.” Raven tries to get Tony to feel her joy and Tony gives in. That night they make their way. Raven leads as Tony is trying to stay hidden and doesn’t look where they are going.

Raven is opening a small window before crawling in. Tony jumps but is too short. Raven stands from the inside and whispers for him to try again. Tony jumps and Raven’s hands grip to his arms and helps him in. Tony pushes with his feet using the wall.

Tony nearly falls but Raven is still holding his arms keeping him from falling from the sink to the floor face first. Raven jumps off landing quietly and Tony slowly gets down knowing he will never have Raven’s cat like acrobatic skills.

They turn around breathing in relief that one of the servants left the kitchen light on. They make their way to the refrigerator opening it and going after the small fruits to eat a bit before going after the bigger foods. Or so they planned when they hear someone coming their way.

“Quick,” Tony whispers, looking around and he spots a picture of a lady in clothes like his mothers and knows she must own part of the house if not all, “her.” Tony points and Raven takes on glance before changing. Tony walks behind Raven; she knows how to deal with people plus, if he is recognized, well, he doesn’t want to.

A young boy, older than Tony, Tony thinks, walks in bat in his hands ready to hit someone until he sees Raven and lowers his bat, “Mother, what’ta you-I thought you were a burglar,” a young accented voice says in light relief. Raven closes the door with her now longer arms and smiles.

Tony wants to look when the boy, he assumes it’s a boy, “I didn’t mean to scare you darling, I was just getting a snack; go back to bed.” Raven leans on the closed refrigerator door.

There is silence and Tony frowns looking at the window and tries to see himself, but he only sees the dark night, if not the window that gave him away, what?

“What’s the matter?” Raven asks in her kind older British voice. Tony makes a mental note to see if she can mimic voice with body or she must work it out.

Tony tries to stay hidden as Raven leans over, “I’ll make you-”

She doesn’t finish her offer when she stands and Tony hears it, he hears the boy’s voice in her, “who are you? Who are the two of you?” Both Raven and Tony touch their heads, Tony looking around to know where the voice is coming from. “My mother has never set foot in this kitchen in her life.” Their heads began to hurt just a little and grows with each word.

Tony looks at Raven’s back as she changes from an adult woman to her smaller self, Tony knows one day he will get bored of it but for now he is still amazed.

“Tony?” Raven whispers, she doesn’t say it asking for Tony to help her, it was her asking if he was okay. Tony steps from behind her to hold her hand. Now Tony can see the boy and his face looks vaguely familiar. The kid’s two piece sleeping ware much like Tony’s when his mother was still under the impression that he would let her dress him, she mostly lets Jarvis or a maid do it now; or more like use to. With the boy’s current expression, Tony is sure that’s what his face looked when he first saw Raven shift. A look of awe and finding another.

“You’re not,” Raven pauses and Tony squeezes her hand, “grossed out by me?”

“I always believed I couldn’t be the only one in the world, the only person who was different.” The kid says in awe but slowly growing with excitement. Tony knows that feeling, and maybe he doesn’t have Raven’s gift of shape shifting or this kid’s gift of telepath? “And here you are.” He holds out his hands, “I’m Charles,” the boy begins, and Tony doesn’t like being ignored so he cuts the boy off.

“I’m Tony.” Tony smiles shaking the other’s hand, Raven smiles, “Tony.”

“Are you hungry?” Charles asks the pair not letting Tony’s jump in bother him and Tony frowns, Raven nods. “Take what you want, we got lots of food, you don’t have to steal.” Tony waits a second, he feels words coming, and he has always known when people wanted to say more.

“In fact, you never have to steal again.” The other boy’s voice sounds genuine and Tony knows better, his father has used that voice before breaking whatever promise or hope he gave Tony. Raven smiles, “Tony” she frowns.

“I mean it.” Charles looks at Tony and something in Tony’s mind makes him smile and believe Charles. The boy walks to them and pulls out food for them to eat. The two, hungry from a day of no food, eat enough to feel better but not to feel full, being full means being a little sluggish and they can’t with strangers around.

Charles helps them clean up and walks them up the stairs to his room where he smiles and tells them they can sleep on his bed. The bed is much like Tony’s, though he can feel the lesser quality of the sheets, cotton. He has come to find a bit of comfort in them, mostly when he has Raven with him, but this kid doesn’t need to know that.

“I will get myself another blanket.” Charles smiles leaving Raven and Tony on their own. Raven climbs on the bed and sits on the edge waiting for Tony who stands next to the bed but doesn’t dare sit on it, not afraid of the kid but he doesn’t know what the kid wants.

_Everyone is looking for something in return_ ; Howard smacked him when Tony had asked if he could go to a classmate’s apartment to finish a project. Tony later finds out that he was lucky not to have gone. His classmate was almost sixteen and Tony would not have been the first young boy the teen took home.

“This bed is really soft.” Raven whispers with a smile and pats the bed. Tony has been sleeping on stiff and lumpy beds or hard solid ground and those words worm their way to force his body to move a little closer to the bed when Charles walks in smiling.

“Go ahead,” Charles closes the door. Tony freezes and quickly reaches for Raven and pulls her to him.

“What do you want in return?” Tony frowns, he doesn’t have money but he had his mind.

“Tony?” Raven calls out in irritation as Charles answers “Sleep?”

Charles tries to get his mind to reach into Tony’s to slightly move the other boy to agree but recently his powers weren’t at their best and Tony’s mind is too noisy.

“Sleep?” Tony asks a little unbelieving and Raven looks at Tony. Raven remembers those men the day Tony saved her, they had offered her candy and food and more, she tried to walk away but then more came and then Tony. She glares at the boy who offered her food and a place to sleep, he may not be as old as those men, nor does he act like them but her parents were always so nice and kind before. Before.

_I mean sleep, if you feel most comfortable, I’ll let you both take my bed._

They hear Charles’ voice in their head and look at him closer.

“I’ll make you anything.” Tony offers, he wants sleep and if the boy keeps dancing around what he wants he could just cut to it and get what he and Raven want.

Charles tries once more and he hears it, _what does he want? Why is he helping?_

“I don’t want anything but to know how Raven changes,” Charles begins, “she is like me. Are you?” he asks and Tony watches the boy. Is that what he wants? The boy wants to know about Raven and him, just information?

“Yes.” Charles answers and Tony frowns before answering, “don’t read my mind.”

“I can change,” Raven steps a little closer to Charles and gently taking her hand out of Tony’s before changing into the small girl Tony first saw. Tony tries not to think of when he first saw her and Charles’ face softens at Tony before glowing with excitement.

“Do you have a limit?” Charles asks and Raven smiles before answering, “Tony asked me a lot more questions but never that.”

“Of course, she has limits.” Tony jumps in making his voice known but quickly goes quite when his father’s words come front center in his mind; _everyone has their limits, shames yours came too soon. Let’s go Maria, I need to give a speech to the head of Defi-_ Howard’s voice trails off, it’s always something else.

“Of course,” Charles answers trying not to hear that man’s voice that seems to be playing in the back of one of the two kids’ minds. That voice that makes Charles miss his father and finds little comfort knowing that even if his mother is not all loving, she would not say such things, not to his face which gives just a bit of comfort to Charles.

“Tony is really smart.” Raven smiles and Tony doesn’t look at them.

“I can tell.” Charles looks at Tony and he can feel something moving in his mind so Tony shouts, _get out! Get out! Stay out!_ And trying to hide his other thoughts. Charles looks at him a little confused, with his nose crinkling.

“You are loud, I’m sorry.” Charles looks away and Tony is not sure what he is saying sorry to and hopes Charles didn’t get too far in.

“Well, I got what I wanted, I know your names and what you can do, now, let’s all rest.” Charles smiles. Tony frowns. Raven nods and walks to the bed and looks at Tony as she sits on the bed, Tony knows Raven can protect him as much as he can protect her if he has the proper tools, so he walks to her and sits next to her.

“Join us?” Raven looks at Charles and he does. Tony lays on one end, Raven next to him and Charles at the other side of the bed and Raven. The room dark and going back to feeling a little safer Tony whispers to Raven, “We should leave.”

“No, he is like me.” Raven whispers back. Tony feels her change back to her real self, Tony turns around to catch her hair finish changing.

“That is amazing.” Charles whispers and Tony freezes. Raven pats his hand under the covers before answering, “Tony had more words than that, but he meant the same.”

“Well, as he should, this skin, _your_ skin is just brilliant.” Charles whispers and Raven smiles as she looks up at the ceiling.

“Tony, Charles,” Raven begins, voice slowing with sleep, “promise to always be mine?”

Tony is about to answer when Raven starts again, “be my brothers, always?”

“Of course.” Tony and Charles say in unison. Charles wants to know them more, wants to know this girl who is so much like him yet so different, and the boy who is so different yet so alike. Raven smiles and closes her eyes to sleep. Tony curls next to her and Charles lays there trying not to listen to either of the kid’s minds.

“Good night, Raven,” Charles whisper, “goodnight, Tony.”

“G’nigh’” Raven drawls and Tony whispers, “goodnight, Charles.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, THANK YOU to all who have given kudos!! I really was surprised I even had two people to look at this. As for where the story will go, I have a map, but as all maps, there are many destinations and well, I know where I want to go just not how I will get there.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading.


	3. Coming Home and Homecoming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony knows coming home is different from going back. Raven and Charles want to stay with him but Charles has a home, of sorts but Raven doesn't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little longer than the past two because where I wanted to stop first was too short and then I couldn't find a good rest stop, so I just stopped.

The night passed but the morning found Tony and Raven waking to Charles jumping out of bed.

“My mother is calling your father.” Charles runs to shake Tony. Tony, in instinct, raises his arms ready to cover his face and curls closer to Raven. Raven stiffens and curls an arm around Tony, body half covering the younger boy.

Charles takes a moment to berate himself for his actions before getting back to waking the two sleeping kids.

“Tony, my mother is calling your father.” Charles repeats a little louder and Tony shoots up. He looks around, eyes filled with what could be interpreted as panic almost expecting to see said man in the room.

“Raven, we have to go.” Tony hisses as he gets out of the bed standing on wabbly legs. Raven quickly gets up changing from her blue skin to the same small blonde girl she showed Charles the night before. Tony gathers their shoes and begins to think of where to go and how to get to their things they left behind.

“Tony?” Raven asks worried as she rushes to put her shoes on. She can make shoes, but people leave the weirdest and sharpest things in the ground. After she cut her foot following Tony into a building, Tony spent more than 30 dollars buying her a somewhat good pair of shoes to wear when she was in her smaller form. They were black and simple, but they keep Raven’s feet safe, and in turn Raven is safe.

“If Ho-” Tony is cut off when Charles’ mother opens the door of the room.

“Anthony Edward Stark!” She shouts, short sandy blonde hair a little out of sorts as if she had been running her fingers through it, but still dressed proper.

“Your father is on his way.” Her accented voice was stern.

Tony can hear his father’s speech and knows the punishment. He stands straighter and more attentive. Tony looks at her, face closed off and his mind silent. Charles is a little disturbed by the quick shut down and looks at Raven to only hear her surprise in Tony’s change. How can a kid learn to close his mind so quick, a kid who did not know telepaths existed? And why?

“Mrs. Xavier,” Tony begins, voice calm but framed by a bitter tang, “Good morning.”

“Anthony, your father has been worried sick!” She reprimanded, “Your poor mother thinking you were kidnapped, or worse.”

Tony knew from the moment he thought about leaving that his mother and Jarvis would worry sick-or at the very least Jarvis would-, so he doesn’t believe when she said his Father was worried sick.

“Of course, as they should.” Tony stands upright, voice firm and calm. Raven steps closer. Tony doesn’t glace at her, just feels her body heat. He takes small comfort in her proximity. He really hopes she is not still blue; his father has never liked people who were different, especially if they didn’t have power or money.

Charles’ mother frowns, “young man, do you have what kind of spectacle you have caused your parents?” She asks a mix of shunning and pity.

Tony hates that, pity like he was some poor animal abandoned on purpose. “I’m sure a lot, seeing as I am Anthony Edward Stark, as you have so graciously shouted.” Tony raises an eyebrow in question, almost daring. She glares before schooling her features and closes the room door.

“Tony?” Charles asks worried and Raven grabs Tony’s hand in hers as she asks, “What will happen now?”

Tony gulps before letting his back sag a little and he sits on the bed hunching over his hands on his lap, still holding Raven’s. Raven glances at Charles and he walks to the two holding out his hands. Tony looks up enough to see the offering hand and with a nudge from Raven, he takes it, gripping tight enough to make sure Charles doesn’t easily slip out.

“Promise that no matter what we will be together?” Raven asks, Tony knows he can’t, too many independent variables.

Charles smiles and tugs Tony’s hand a little making Tony look up, “How about,” he begins, accent lingering and Tony waits, “We’ll be our own little family? Raven my sister and Tony, you’re my brother? We are different,” he pauses and smiles at both kids looking up at him with hope, “but together.”

Raven nods.

Tony frowns a little, he hardly knows this kid, older as he may be, Tony trusts the kid as much as he trusted the motel owner. He turns to Raven who is smiling and Tony already knows his answer. He should have known the day he got a real smile from Raven he was gone. Even at ten, he knows that to see a true smile from Raven he would give everything he had. He knows he owns very little even if his parents are rich, and that’s it, it’s his parent’s money not his.

Tony sighs before nodding, “I’ve never had siblings.” Tony answers and both Raven and Charles nod in understanding.

“I’ve always wanted siblings.” Charles whispers in guarded wistful tone. Tony smiles a little and Raven has a full smile.

“No matter what happens,” Tony speaks up just above a whisper, “Raven, Charles,” he takes a second to look at each and takes another second to make sure he means this, “you will always have me to be there.”

Charles promise them both the same and Raven, she gives a wide happy smile repeating it. They hold hands tighter before letting go.

Charles listens out for Tony’s parents, though Tony doesn’t need Charles’ powers to know when his parents arrive because he sees their town car, black with tinted windows, parked in the front. Tony frowns before warning Raven, “Father might not want you to come with me but,” Tony knows it’s probably bad of him to ask and if asked, will bring up a lot of bottled stuff he rather keep battled up, “if you have blonder hair and brighter blue eyes, he will be more willing.”

Raven nods, she wants to go with Tony, so her hair lightens up, her eyes almost glow and Tony wonders where she has seen those eyes before. She has told him she can change as long as she has seen the person before. If the traits all come from one person, Tony would like to thank them because this might keep Raven with him.

“That is amazing.” Charles comments, he wants to ask Tony why blonde and blue eyes but can hear Tony’s cut off thoughts again, and most of them are rather rude and angry.

Raven smiles brighter, “I’ll come back to see you.” Raven promises Charles who nods and Tony can’t help but smile at the pure joy on Raven’s face and reaches for her hand, which she gladly gives. They all walk down the stairs with Charles taking the lead, still in his sleeping button up and stripped bottoms to match.

“Tony!” Tony hears his mother’s warm and relieved gasp. Tony looks down to see only his mother. Of course, Tony should have known, his father has far more important things to do than collect his son and heir from nearly a month of absence.

His mother strides to him and reaches her hand out. Holding hands?

Tony looks at her a little confused when Charles’ voice speaks in his head, _She has been worried to literal sickness, she wants physical confirmation that you are here._

Tony nods and holds out his hand for her to grab. She holds his hand with a firm grip and thanks Charles’ mother. Tony is now going back to the house, he is not sure he can call it home.

“Thank you once again, Sharon.” Maria smiles, her eyes growing pink by the second and Tony grabs Raven’s hand.

“No problem, Maria, Kurt would have been noticed sooner than I that Anthony was here, but he left for work early.” Charles’ mother, Sharon, smiles and Tony knows that smile, his father gives it to him. That smile that looks kind from a stranger's point of view but seeing it for years, you see how empty it is. She is not as practiced as Howard, Tony frowns. He looks at Charles who is looking at Raven and him. Charles’ face blank. Kurt? Why would he know sooner?

Tony kind of wants to take Charles with him too, if this Kurt person was putting that look on his face but asking to let Raven come will already be a mountain to climb on it’s own.

“Mom,” Tony calls out and anything he can use to have her quick to agree, mother would just be too formal for Tony. He learned quick that his father liked ‘mother’ better. “Mom,” Tony calls again as she tries to walk, “can Raven come with us?”

Maria stops to turn and look down at Tony and seems to take in the two kids holding hands. Tony looks at her with big eyes he used on the maids so they could sneak him candy as a kid before realizing that once his father found out they would be fired. “Mom,” Tony calls again, “this is Raven.”

“Anthony, who is she?” Maria asks and Raven looks up at her with big puppy eyes Tony has seen her use on older people when she asked if they would buy her a snack while she was waiting on her big brother. They would mostly give in.

“Her name is Raven.” Tony smiles, “She brought me here.” He says hoping she could make up a good story in her own head with just that.

“What about her parents?” Maria looks around to Sharon who gives her a ‘who knows’ look, “honey,” Maria addressed Raven as she kneeled to meet Raven’s eyes, “Where are you parents?”

Tony tries not to wince because Raven told him, her parents tried to kill her the minute she tried to ask what was happening to her on her first change. She was left to die. She also told him that on one of her nightly visits to see her parents without them knowing that his father got drunk and she saw them off in the car. She left, she doesn’t know where they went or if they went far.

“They didn’t want me.” Raven whispers looking down at her hand holding Tony’s. Tony tries to think to Charles, _can you convince my mother to take her with us?_

_I could try._

_Thank you, Charles._

“We should try-“ Maria answers but stops to think, and Tony sees Charles focusing on her, “Well, you were there for my Anthony, least I can do is bring you with us, for now.” Raven looks up at her and gives her a huge smile and Maria smiles back.

Charles smiles at them and waves as they walk out and hears Tony thank him many times with promises of visiting.

“Mother, could I visit Antony next week?” Charles asks turning to his mother as she walks off to the stairs; surely going back to her private bedroom she tells Kurt is a guest room. Kurt never goes in thinking it’s just a room of many, idiot.

“I’ll talk to Kurt about it,” she walks up the stairs but stops to sigh and turn to look at her son, “Charles, you should have told me the minute they got here. Maria and Howard have been looking for him everywhere.”

Charles nods, “Sorry, mother.”

She nods curtly and continues to walk up. Charles knows that even if his mother doesn’t fully believe him about Kurt she is protecting some of her assets, mostly pertaining to him, trusts and schooling plans. Charles really hates pretending to be on the same level as his peers.

****

As Tony and Raven walk to the car Maria sighs and turns to them looking at Tony, “Your father will be happy to see you fine and well.” She begins and Tony feels the ‘but’ like an incoming cannon, “He said one of his researchers found another lead.”

It doesn’t surprise Tony, but it still doesn’t stop the pang of hurt he feels at those words. He was stupid enough to hope a little when Charles’ mother said his father was on his way. Raven gives him a soft squeeze and smiles a little. Tony looks at his mother, “When will he return?”

“He left three days ago, said it would take a week if they don’t find what they want or a month if they do.” Maria sounds almost as worn on the subject as Tony felt. She has always been so encouraging but Tony doesn’t fully get it, if she doesn’t like the searching any more than Tony for different reason, why pretend it was all okay?

“Can we make Raven a Stark?” Tony ask as Jarvis walks out the car and gives him a full and relieved smile as Maria turns to look at Raven. The older man opens the back door for the three of them and closes it as Maria gives him a small nod. Raven sits next to Tony and they sit in front of Maria watching her for an answer.

“I’ll have to talk to your father about it. We can’t just pick up a child and say, ‘you’re now a Stark’ Anthony.” She sighs, “There is legal paperwork, parents to be found and if they want her back then court battles if your father says yes. Parental and Guardian custody is a thing.” She pulls out her planner from the seat next to her, which is more of a large back seat pocket than an actual seat.

“Thank you.” Tony looks at Raven and he knows it’s her way of saying she will try. She already thought of the bigger and harder steps Tony neglected to think about when he asked Charles for help. He doubts her parents will want her, not much different than his own father, Tony thinks but he will make sure she knows she is wanted with them; at the very least wanted by him.

The ride is quiet with Jarvis playing the radio low and Tony humming with Raven mumbling the lyrics. If he could find a way to keep this ride in the front part of his mind, he will be a happy boy.

So, it only makes sense that his mother breaks his peace with more reality, “You do know if you father agrees to adopting her, she will be at the house alone when you start high school, she looks to be starting middle school.”

Tony frown, “Can’t you just transfer Raven to my school?”

“You know as well as I do, that your school is not for everyone.” She sighs flipping a page in her planner and jotting something down.

Raven listens as her schooling is disused and before Tony can say something back Raven puts in, “last grade I was in was fifth grade.”

“Did you finish it?” Maria looks at her. Raven shakes her head. Tony frowns, “I’ll teach her!”

“We first have to talk to Howard.” Maria sighs as she closes her planner and lays it on her laps. She looks at Raven with a degree of kindness Tony has learned to hoard, “would you like to live with us until we can figure what will happen?” Raven nods excitedly and reaches to hold Tony’s hand.

“What’s your last name?” Maria asks and Tony looks at her, they never switched last names. Raven raises her head in a faint manner of pride, “Darkhlom.”

“That is a real unique name.” Maria gives a faint smile and opens her planner to get some notes down. Tony looks at her and smiles, “I like it.” She smiles at him and Maria takes a moment to look at the awe and adoring look the two kids share.

“How old are you?” She asks Raven and she smiles, “twelve.”

Tony looks at her and sees she is thinking, “shouldn’t you be starting seventh or at the very least finishing the sixth?”

Raven looks at her and pulls her hand from Tony’s slowly, not looking at anyone only her hands. Raven takes a deep breath.

“Mother.” Tony looks at her trying not to glare, she might mean well but it doesn’t mean she has a right to know.

“My mother and father left me before I finished.” Raven whispers so low, Tony is not sure his mother heard. She frowns and Tony knows she heard.

“When we get home, Jarvis will you get Sarah to get the room next to Anthony’s ready.” Maria begins writing more and Tony smiles a little and taps Raven’s shoulder. She looks at him and he nods, she smiles just faintly.

The rest of the ride home is silent and Tony whispers to Raven about what he will shower her when they get back. When they get to the house, mansion, Raven looks wide eyed. She had seen the mansion before but never knew who lived there, soon she might be.

“Jarvis, Tony and Raven will decide if they want that room and what to put in it.” Maria orders and puts her large planner between her side and inside of her arm. Tony watches his mother walk off before leading Raven to his room. He will show her his room and let her get ideas, while they wait for Jarvis to bring Sarah up.

“This is my room.” Tony opens the door to his room. He left it neat and packed. His desk to the right of the large window that looks to the back gardens his mother has the grounds guys keep up. He has his bed to the far left of the room. He forgot he has drawings of Captain American still up; he tore most of them down and threw them away before leaving. His closet door closed and next to that door was his bathroom that connects to the guest room to the right. The door to the guest room was always locked. He has posters with machines his father made, of weapons made by Stark industries, and posters he had gathered of bands Jarvis has given him on his birthdays.

“Wow,” Raven walks in, “your room is huge!” she walks around looking at the bookshelves to the right of the door facing his bed, and where all his books and decorations his mother added to make it look more organized. “my old room was not as big as yours, maybe the living room with the dining room.” Raven looks around, “okay maybe not that big, but you get what I’m trying to say, right?”

Tony nods, he understands a little, for the most part he knows a lot of people don’t have his money, well his parents’ money, so they have less space.

“So, in your room you’ll have anything you want.” Tony smiles. Raven walks to Tony’s bed and touches the sheets, “they are really soft.”

“Best I have, softer than Charles’ sheets.” Tony smiles and Raven nods in agreement. Raven looks closer at Tony’s poster and reads the notes Tony has made on them, “I don’t understand this entire math thing, if it’s even math.” Raven frowns, “why so many letters?”

“Well, you see, I was trying to figure out how much fuel I would need to make a real rocket and then I had to get the correct portions per gallon while making it possible to multiply it if I want to make a bigger rocket.” Raven nods, “okay, yeah. What about the little doodles?”

“Those are small schematics I thought of on nights I couldn’t sleep; they’re things I want to make but still need to learn how to make them and make them better.” Tony points to small boots with what looks like small suction cups on the bottom with spikes come out of said cups.

“Those are rocket books, my father tried to make them but then deemed them too easy, so he never finished it. He moved to making faster and lighter guns for the military.”

Raven nods, “how would they work?”

“Well, right now, they would be too bulky to even wear because they would need a small fuel tank on each boot but that would make them too heavy. Some metals have too low a melting point, other that some are not malleable enough, some eve-”

Tony is cut off by a knock on his room door. It’s open so Tony turns to see Jarvis and his mother’s PA stand at the threshold. Raven looks at them unsure but Tony smiles, “Jarvis!” Tony walks to him and Raven smiles. Jarvis is okay, Sarah? Jarvis smiles at the two but landing on Raven, “Ms. Raven, this is Sarah, Mrs. Stark’s Personal Assistant, Sarah, this is Ms. Raven.”

“Hello, Ms. Raven.” Sarah, a short woman with dark brown hair bends over a little. Her paints suit fitting but Raven notes that the woman’s eyes are two different colors, one light green and the other light blue. Raven waves and Tony nods. Raven smiles faintly, “Jarvis tells me you would show me to the room you would like to be in?”

Raven nods and Tony smiles at the shy act Raven is showing. Really, she is a good actor. She might have them eating from her hand in no time.

“Can I get the one next to Tony’s?” she asks voice quietly and Sarah nods. They walk to the room to the right and Tony smiles. This will be fun, maybe.

“Do you know what you want?” Sarah asks as she holds her planner in her arm ready to write with her other hand. Raven asks for very little aside from her bed.

“I just want to have the room.” She looks at the room, “can I get some posters?” Jarvis nods and Sarah asks what does she like.

“Animals?” Raven looks at the large empty walls, “yeah, animals.” Sarah writes some more.

“Get her some of the same sheets I have.” Tony begins and then mentions all the clothes and shoes she will need, books of all kinds she can pick which she would like better, even offers Raven to have a painting in her room, she shakes her head and Sarah keeps writing.

“I will get started.” Sarah closes her planner and leaves Jarvis with the kids alone. The minute Sarah is walking down the stairs Jarvis get down on his knees to hug Tony tight.

“Don’t you dare run off like that again.” He says a little choked and Tony looks at him closer to see faint circles and bags under his eyes. He looks to have aged in the almost month Tony had run away. “I don’t want to go through that again.” He whispers and Tony takes a second to take in how worried and affected Jarvis was. He thought Jarvis would just cover for him and let him go, turns out that what Tony really wanted was for this kind of hug. The hug that holds him tight and even when he is let go, he still have the phantom hug lingering. The kind of hug that screamed at him that he was stupid, and they were worried sick.

“I’m sorry.” Tony whispers back and his throat goes dry making it hard to swallow and he grips Jarvis’ coat tight and pulls into another hug. He knows for every action is a reaction, but he didn’t expect to be back for that reaction, to this one. Jarvis was very well composed as always. Tony lets his tears fall and he cries a little. Raven places a hand on his shoulder and he pulls her into the hug. Jarvis wraps his arm around Raven too and they stay that way for another minute as they compose themselves.

“Thank you, Jarvis.” Tony whispers as he wipes his eyes. Raven rubs her eyes and Tony notices that she too was crying, maybe not for the same reasons, but for similar reasons.

Tony smiles at Raven, “told you Jarvis was the best.” Raven nods and as they gather themselves. Raven blinks and Jarvis notice her eyes change color, from her shinning blue to a glowing yellow. Tony looks at Raven and sees it. Jarvis smiles, “I’ll have Reid make you two some lunch, brunch?”

Raven looks at Tony before nodding, “please?” Jarvis walks out and Tony whispers, “your eyes are yellow.” Raven blinks again and it changes back to the shinning blue eye. She looks at Tony a little worried, “do you think he say? Will he tell?”

“I think he did,” Tony pauses, “he won’t tell. I told you Jarvis is the best.”

Raven nods and after a moment they walk down the stairs to see a large amount of food set on the dinning table. It’s been a long time since Tony got to actually eat a good amount of food. Raven looks at the food almost drooling, “sit.” Tony walks to the table.

Jarvis walks in followed by a line of servants and grounds people. Tony sees a few of them crying, others looking at him in awe and the rest focused on Raven.

“They wanted to see with their own eyes that you are back.” Jarvis informs him and Tony stands, Raven follows, and the employees all gather to give him a pleasantry or two. They turn to Raven to complaint her in one way or another. When one of the guys look at her for longer than Tony feels appropriate, he calls it an end, “We will like to eat in peace now.”

They nod and they go back to their work. Tony keeps Kevin, one of the gardeners in his mind; he doesn’t like how he looked at Raven.

Raven begins to stuff her face until Jarvis stops her, “a young lady shouldn’t fill her mouth in that manner, the food will still be here.” He smiles; she raises an eyebrow before swallowing her food, “sorry.” She slows down eating the pizza Reid set for them.

“Get some, J.” Tony gestures to the food. Jarvis takes a dinner roll. Reid really made Tony all his favorites, he will have to tell him hotdogs will be on the list. Raven uses the spoon for the creamy soup Tony was slowly eating. She picks the wrong spoon up because Jarvis shakes his head a little and Tony smiles before picking the same spoon and counties to eat. Raven looks at the spoon Tony was first using and picks that one to eat. The soup was indeed creamy, small pieces of some kind of chewy thing and a few vegetables. Overall, Raven likes it.

“Anthony,” Maria chides Tony as she walks into the large dining room to sit at her spot across from Tony and next to the head seat. Tony slowly puts down the small spoon and goes for the bigger one Raven was using.

“Thank you, Raven.” Maria smiles as she looks at the girl’s spoon. Tony smiles as her and Raven nods, “’elcome.”

“I have talked to your father.” Maria begins as she picks up her napkin to place on her laps. Raven watches and mimics her actions, “He didn’t find anything and will be back tomorrow a little before dinner.” She picks up her soup spoon and begins to eat. Raven looks at her laps to see her napkin was a little too big and Tony turns to pick it up and fold it one fourth of the way before laying it down again and leaving the folded part down on her laps.

“I hope you liked your room.” Maria smiles at her son and turns to look at Raven. She looks up from watching Tony fix her napkin and smiles, “yeah, I like it a lot.”

“That’s wonderful.” Maria smiles as she begins to eat her soup. Tony knows there is something she wants to say but maybe Raven’s presence is stopping her, she never liked talking about Howard’s bad side in front of others, not even with Jarvis; though they make arrangements for it without saying what it really is.

“What is it mother?” Tony asks cautiously and takes a spoon full of clam chowder.

Maria looks at Raven and gives a small sigh, “I have a meeting with a few donors for the children’s ward I’m going to add to the hospital, and I have to leave for the next three hours.”

Tony looks at her, “will I need to change?” he looks at Raven, before looking back at his mother who is giving a small smile before shaking her head.

“Howard wants you to go,” she pauses, “I will let you stay, but I need you to promise you will try and make up all the work the tutor left you.” Tony stays quiet before nodding.

“Raven,” Maria looks back to the blonde girl, “if you would like, I can get Jarvis to show you around the house.” Raven looks at Tony who is eating slowly in thought and shakes her hand, “can I be with Tony?”

Maria nods before going back to eat.

Tony sighs, he looks down at his less than half eaten soup, he really liked it but if he must finish his homework before his father gets home, he must start now. He stands, “thank you, I’ll head upstairs to do my homework.” Tony cleans his mouth and stands, “Raven, take your time, I’ll be in my room.”

Raven nods and watches Tony leave the table, she looks at the half-eaten pizza slice he took when Raven began and somewhat eaten soup, before looking at Maria, “Mrs. Stark, is he done eating?” Tony told her she was nice, and she has seemed decent, but she knows she must be nice.

“No, sadly he will be doing his homework all day. If you don’t mind taking him some food or snacks later?” Maria smiles kindly and Raven nods, “Raven, how did you and Tony met?”

Raven frowns, she is not sure if she should tell her, Tony told her a partial truth but it was Tony who saved her really.

It wouldn’t hurt if she told her, right?

“I took a short cut to a shop when these three grown men circled me.” She starts right before Tony came, “they were getting too close and I tried to get away but there was little space.” Maria frowns, she doesn’t seem to like this but listened, “I was about to shout for help when Tony came running shouting a random name that he said seem to suit me.”

“What name was that?” She asks taking Raven’s small pause to know.

“Mary, he shouted ‘Mary there you are’ and ‘mom and dad are worried, they called the police thinking you were kidnapped’ stuff like that as he got closer. He did it so everyone on the street would look at us.” Raven smiles, “The men tried to close the space that Tony was coming from, but he got passed them quick and pulled me. We walked off and he kept talking loud enough for everyone to notice us but not yelling, saying ‘you’re in real trouble’ and ‘you can’t just run off’ as he walked at least a block away he went quiet and I have stuck with him since.” Raven looks down at her hands before looking up to see Maria smiling, her eyes proud and Raven has seen that look before, on her own mother before, before. That look that says they were worried but so glad and proud of her and would fight the world to prove it.

“Sounds like Tony.” Maria whispers.

“He kind of demanded me to stay with him, without saying it upfront,” Raven smiles, “I was going to stay close anyways, but it was nice to know that he wanted me close.”

“Yeah, that sounds like him.” Maria says fondly, “Raven, I can’t promise you a home but for now until Howard gets back, I will promise to try.”

Raven nods, “I know. Tony has told me how much you care, he really missed you.” She thinks back to those few nights where Tony would talk about his mother and cry because he missed her so much but in the morning he would pretend he didn’t say anything, he would go on as if the night of confessions didn’t happen.

Tony’s mother takes a sip of her wine glass and Raven looks at her option of cups, a teacup with a red tinted drink in it on a small plate and a medium slim glass with water.

“What is this?” Raven points to the teacup. The tea cup looks fancy, trims of red and gold, the white cup making the small colors bigger and the handle a smooth curve with a small like tail at the bottom that curls up, small but still interesting enough that Raven looks at it waiting for an answer.

“Tea, a mix of berries and citrus for you to try,” Maria watches as Raven carefully picks up the cup and with one hand holding the handle and the other under the cup as to not drop it. She takes a slow sip, “you don’t have to like it.”

Raven lets the cold tea hit her lips and she lets a little of it in her mouth before slowly lowering the cup on the plate, careful not to make too much noise, and lets the tea move on her tongue to taste it right. She tries to not make a face but she fails, she wrinkles her nose and looks up sharply when Maria gives a small laugh, “would you like sugar in it?” Raven looks at her critically then back at the tea. She can taste orange and blackberries but it’s not as sweet and it ends with a tangy sting like the stuff that sprays from an orange peel, or a lime and it makes her tongue feel funny. She nods.

Maria takes her napkin off her laps and places it smoothly on the table as she stands. Raven watches in silent hope that she has not made a bad choice as Maria walks around her end of the table to get closer to her.

“Here,” Maria stands next to her and reaches for a glass bowl on another small plate with a lid on it and a smaller spoon laying next to it. Raven watches as she picks the spoon, smaller in Maria’s grown up hands, and takes the lid off to scoop a spoon full and pours it in the tea, “One or two?” she asks and Raven thinks about the tea, she likes sweets, but her dad hated when she ate too many, would the two spoons of sugar be too much?

“Two.” She looks at the spoon go back in the glass bowl and smiles; her dad is not here, besides Tony wouldn’t let him do anything to her. Besides, she can scare him on her own, Tony told her so.

“Try it now.” Maria smiles as she mixes the tea and taps the small spoon on the rim of the cup and lays it to the right of the small plate the cup sits on. Raven nods and picks the teacup up again and carefully takes a small sip.

She smiles as she puts it down, “good?” Maria walks back to her seat, back to Raven before turning to sit down and arrange her napkin.

Raven nods, “good.” Raven drinks a little more of the tea before she looks at the rest of the lay out. There is fruit and what looks like meat cut into pieces with large green leaves. Raven looks at Maria before reaching for a plate of fruit and Maria nods.

“Eat what you want,” she adds, “when you finish, please take Tony a plate of fruit? Blueberries are his favorite; just don’t tell him I told you.” Maria whispers the last bit. Raven smiles with her teeth and eats her fruit as she drinks her tea.

It’s been a long time since she was able to eat and feel full; last time was when Tony convinced a man that Raven could make his watch work better than new. Tony had fixed it and had Raven take the credit. The man paid them well and Tony treated them to a good dinner. The time before that was when she was with her parents.

“Thank you.” Raven whispers as she tries to mimic the smooth moves of Maria from before; placing the napkin down and standing as she slid her chair back to not make a noise. It was close to perfect, but her chair made an unpleasant noise as it slid back and Raven cringed. She turns to look up at Maria ready to defend herself, but she was just reaching for a plate of fruit. Raven looks at her empty teacup and reaches for a plate with the most blueberries and leaves the dining room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love to hear back from people who read this. Hope you all are still enjoying this story.


	4. Homework Is Evil, But Raven Can Be More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life is slowly passing as Howard has not arrived. Tony is ignoring it and Raven will be with Tony one way or another. But first, she will make sure to show others not to mess with her brother. Charles misses his new friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still stuck at summaries. I am late on this chapter by a day-ish, sorry, life has been difficult, this is a place I try to keep from being tainted from my personal life so I had to take a step back last week. Thank you ahead of time for understanding. I hope everyone is still enjoying this.
> 
> All thoughts are Italices, normally followed by who thought it, or started by who was thinking it. Sorry if at any point it get-or has been- confusing.
> 
> This is for the end:  
> Italic-Raven  
> Bold-Charles  
> Underline-Tony

Raven walks upstairs but getting to the stop she looks around and takes a right, she knows it’s a left first. Raven looks at the doors and down the hall she was in not seeing Tony’s door. She is lost. She walks down one hall and turns back to take another; it didn’t look this difficult when Tony was showing her.

“Ms. Raven?” A woman in her late thirties, maybe, walks out a room. Her black dress and white apron telling Raven she was one of the servants, she sighs, “Where is Tony?” The servant looks at her and is not quick to hide her frown when she looks at the plate of fruit. Raven tried not to frown back; she just needs to know where Tony is. The woman nods and walks off, Raven follows, and the woman looks over her shoulder making sure she is following. She takes a left not a right, and then walks pass four doors to knock on the second to last door on the left of the hall. No one answers so the maid opens the door and Raven peaks in to see Tony sitting at his desk writing away with a small stack of papers on his left and a smaller stack on his right. He has a few books open and Raven notices his hair. His hair looks a mess and Raven is sure he ran his hands through it many times.

“Tony?” Raven calls out and Tony doesn’t look up, he keeps writing and muttering.

“He will be like that for a while,” the woman whispers, “he is in the middle of doing homework so he might not even know you are here.” She opens the door fully and before she walks away, she hears the woman whisper, “engrossed in his work, just like his father.”

Raven wants to tell the woman Tony is not ‘just like his father’ because the stuff Tony has spoke of the man, he sounds like a cruel man, even if Tony doesn’t want to understand it, or can’t. Raven will admit that Tony is way smarter than her but in regard to people, she is smarter than him, and she sees how much Tony puts into everything to please his unappeasable father.

“Tony.” Raven calls as she walks closer and Tony seems to not hear her. She stands next to him and taps his shoulder.

Tony freezes and looks up sharply as his arms come close to his body leaving his work on the desk.

“Tony?” Raven sets the plate on a blank spot of the desk, Tony takes a second to look at her and lets it sink in that Raven is there, a concerned Raven. He smiles forcing his mind to click back.

“Raven,” Tony looks her over, “you’re done eating?” he asks. Raven sighs, it’s not the first time she sees him like this, but she thought he stopped, clearly being back home has him back to it.

“Yeah, I brought you some fruit, you know a snack,” Raven picks up the papers with one hand and with her other hand picks up the plate with the fruit and sets it to replace the papers. Tony frowns, “I’m not done with my homework.” Tony fights weakly.

“Young master.” Jarvis knocks on the door. Raven looks at the older man stand at the door with a fork and looks back at the plate, right, she forgot to bring him a fork.

“Jarvis,” Tony smiles realizing the same thing. Jarvis walks in setting the fork on the plate and smiles at Raven, “I’ll be going, if you need anything, call for me.” Raven nods and Tony picks the fork to eat the pineapple first. Raven smiles and watches Tony eat the fruit starting from the outside and leaving the blueberries in the center for last.

“You can tell one of the maids to bring you something to do while you wait.” Tony looks at Raven. Raven shakes her head, “I’ll just look at your books,” she stands ups up and walks to the bookshelf, “do you have any toys?”

Tony stops eating and watches Raven closely, “I do not, I’m too big for toys.” Raven shrugs, “do you have any kind of puzzles?”

Tony shakes his head, “books and” he pauses before putting his plate down with a smile and gets up to run to his closet. Raven follows leaving a lot of space between her and Tony. She watches as Tony moves boxes in his closet to pull out a shoe box and walks out, “I do have puzzles.” He smiles. Raven sits on the ground as Tony sits down in front of her. He opens the box and pulls a wooden puzzle stars and cubes, a book just a little smaller than the box it lay in, and color pencils. Raven tries not to think of what this could mean, hiding his things like this.

“Jarvis told me a story about the this one,” Tony picks up the muilti pointed wooden star. Raven smiles, “tell me before we go to sleep?” Tony smiles and hands, it to her, “try and solve it?”

Raven looks at it and Tony takes it back to take it apart, he pulls out one and the rest fall out. Raven picks the pieces up and begin to focus on the puzzle as Tony closes the door and locks it, “can I ask you something?”

Raven looks up and see Tony standing by the door. She nods, “can you go blue? I know looking like this makes you feel better, but you look better in your blue skin.”

Raven looks down at her hands and slowly changes, her shoes still on her feet, her white shirt and black shorts still in place. Tony smiles, “when you’re in my room you can be blue, even in your room.” Raven nods.

“What about the rest of the house?” Raven goes back to the puzzle, Tony sighs, “you’ll have to look like you did earlier, its better if they don’t know for now. Jarvis might not mind but Howard is, he doesn’t have a real open mind.”

Raven stiffens, “what about your mom?”

Tony walks back to his chair, “she might come to be okay with it, I’m not sure.”

Raven nods and goes back to her puzzle while Tony goes back to working.

They both are into their respective tasks that they did not hear when Jarvis knocked and in a quick wave of panic used his key to unlock the room door.

“Tony!” he shouts as he pushes the door open, startling both kids into attention. Tony’s first instinct was to stand up back straight and ready to either show his work or take whatever reaction his father had to his runaway stunt.

Raven changed back to her pale skin, dirty blonde and dark blue eyes. She sits up but doesn’t get up and looks at the door in pure panic with plans to run.

“I’m sorry.” Jarvis looks at the panic kids, goes to reach for Raven when she slowly moves back a little, “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Raven huffs, “you didn’t scare me.” She gets up to walk to Tony and says with a firm tone, “I’m not scared of you.”

Tony slowly relaxes seeing Jarvis and as Raven walks to him he reaches to hold her hand, “don’t be silly Jarvis,” Tony scoffs. Jarvis walks in the room and gives them a quick but tight hug to reassure them.

“You didn’t answer when I knocked, and you locked the door.” Jarvis says in a way of explanation, “I was coming to ask if you two wanted to go to the store with me.”

Tony lit up but his bright eyes quickly burned out, “I still have a lot to finish, Raven? Do you want to go with Jarvis?”

Raven looks at Tony before narrowing her eyes, “don’t be an idiot, I still have to finish the puzzle.” She turns to look at the puzzle she dropped on her way to get to Tony and laments her hard work going to waste since it’s all down to pieces again. Jarvis shakes his head, “It will be a quick trip and we might be able to get Raven more clothes.” Jarvis says as he walks out.

“I’ll go if you really want to.” Tony whispers and Jarvis smiles as he gets closer to the door.

“Well, a breath of fresh air will do Raven some good.” Tony announces, “First we have to shower.” He says with grave importance, “we can’t go out looking like we do.” Jarvis turns to see Tony walking in front of Raven leading her to his closet and talking in hush voices about what she can borrow. Jarvis leaves them to themselves as he gathers the list of stuff he has to buy and asks Sarah for her list so he can buy some of Raven’s things.

After two quick showers and rushed dressing, Tony and Raven are standing in the front foyer waiting on Jarvis.

“Oh?” Maria walks in, in an elegant form flattering light blue blouse that flowed a little past her waist to be picked up by her long skirt that was firmly around her waist and hips and loosens to flow to her knees. Her small bag with a long strap to let is hit her hip on her side. “where are we going?”

“Mr. Jarvis asked if we would like to go with him to get me things for my room.” Raven smiles. Tony is beginning to think Raven has Charles’ power.

“Really? Do you need Tony on this trip?” She looks at Tony who give a soft smile, “I am more than halfway done with my work.” Tony says with a little pleading tone at the edge and Maria nods, “Well, I guess you can go, as long as you are able to finish you work before your father gets home tomorrow.” She smiles.

Raven frowns a little before fixing it to a smile, “Mr. Jarvis says it shouldn’t be long.” Maria nods and stands by the door as Sarah comes running in holding a small duffle bag and two planners. Tony watches as she pulls out a long coat for Maria, “Kids.” She smiles and opens the front door, “We are twenty minutes ahead, if we get on the road now we might be able to-” she drones on when Maria cuts her off, “Tony, tomorrow we will have to make it public that we found you,” Maria begins and Raven watches as Tony goes from happy to stiff and attentive.

“Your father will be here by then, we will go to a charity event tomorrow after dinner and there it where we will show that you are back home, safe and sound.” Maria looks at Raven, “if Howard agrees, it will be up to you if you want to be seen by the public, I need you to think about that. It will mean little privacy; Jarvis will tell you more.” Maria looks at Sarah who is writing things down and frowns at her planner.

“Mrs. Stark, tomorrow yo-”

“Did I forget to update you?” Maria turns to her with a curt smile and Raven watches the two women leave closing the door behind them. Tony frowns but smiles at Raven, “Jarvis should be here soon.”

Raven will ask later, or maybe Jarvis, he seems to care about Tony more.

Jarvis, who had been waiting on a maid to finish a shopping list walks into the foyer with a smile and keeps it on when Raven gives him a worried glace at Tony, “come on, if we finish in an hour you will have time for dinner and then finish your work or puzzle.”

Tony nods and Raven follows, she watches as Jarvis opens the door for them and closes it as they get in. Raven will not ever, well maybe she will one day, get use to how big this car is. She has room to lay down and sleep or play a little. The seats are facing one another but there is room in the middle. Raven buckles her seat belt at her hip and watches as Tony does the same but immediately pulls the strap from his chest and neck to place behind him. He smiles at her and she does the same. They don’t talk, as Raven watches the streets pass by and remembers where she slept or where she hid during the night because sleep was not an option at that time. When she turns back she sees Tony holding a book and she frowns when she peers over and sees lots of numbers. The ride is filled with the current pop station Jarvis lets play on the radio.

They stop at their first shop. They get out and Jarvis leads the kids inside.

Tony walks close to Raven but doesn’t reach for her hand. She feels it odd to have him this close and not _feel_ Tony close to her. When she reaches for his hand, he doesn’t pull away, but he doesn’t let her, he looks ahead and listens to Jarvis call out the list. Raven looks around to see many people staring.

“They are looking at me.” Tony whispers as he holds himself with an air of power. Raven nods and mimics his back and head held high.

Jarvis leads them down and up aisles with people whispering as they walk by. Tony doesn’t seem to hear them or even see them as he helps Jarvis tick off things from the list. Raven tries to pretend they are only looking at Tony but she knows that they are also looking at her. It’s unnerving and downright scary but she will not say it. Well, at least not to any of them with their judging eyes and most likely harsh words.

After half an hour and a basket full of food items, Raven breaths in relief when Jarvis leads them to the check out. As they wait Jarvis is approached by a woman with a notepad and a pen, “Jarvis, you are the butler of the Stark house, right?” she takes a breath not really waiting on an answer as she begins to ask more questions, “Is it true that Anthony’s ‘runaway’ was a stunt by Howard Stark to gain public empathy? Has Maria Stark used this as a way into donator’s pockets for her ‘charities’? Was Anthony Stark ever really missing? If so when was he found and by who? Did his parents keep to their reward offer? If he wasn’t why would the family go along with such a horrible stunt?”

Jarvis smiles as he begins to load the items from his basket to the checkout area and waits for it to be rung up. Raven looks at Tony and glares at the woman. As she opens her mouth to tell the woman to leave them alone when Tony shakes his head and smiles at the woman. Raven frowns as Jarvis stands to hide Raven.

Tony opens his mouth to begin talking when Jarvis beats him to it, “I’m sorry miss, but we are here just to buy a few items we need, if you don’t mind leaving us to finish?” Jarvis discreetly moves his arm to move Raven. As much as Tony and Jarvis try the woman turns her attention to Raven.

“Who are you? Where did you come from? Are you with the family? How did you end up here?” The woman rattled off.

Jarvis sighs, “Ma’am, if you don’t mind.” He looks at the casher lady and she nods moving as fast as she can to get their things across and in bags. Raven turns her head and looks at the items being paid for; she doesn’t pay the questioning lady any more attention seeing that Jarvis and Tony are ignoring her as well.

The woman keeps asking questions all similar questions then Jarvis turns to her, “your questions will be heard tomorrow.” He walks with bags and hands one to each kid, “lets go.” The woman frowns but doesn’t have much time before Tony, Jarvis, and Raven are out the store and walking to their car.

As they place the bags in the back with Tony and Raven, Jarvis looks back to make sure the woman stayed behind. He gets in the driver seat and pulls out.

“Why was that woman saying those things?” Raven looks at Tony who shrugs, “I told you, that’s part of being a Stark.”

Raven nods and has Tony read her his math book as Jarvis drives them to the next shop.

The car stop, a minute later the door opens and Raven sits up to look at Jarvis with eyes shining bright and Tony wishes she never sees Howard with such eyes, he would fall for them and maybe he would be proud of her and not him. Tony quickly pushes they thought aside because Raven is smarter than that and Howard, he is a hard man to get more than a handful of minutes.

“Lets go.” Tony smiles and Raven leads out to Jarvis. They walk into a building through the front door and Raven notices the difference between this shop and the store they had just left. In this one, everyone is making an effort to not look and keep their whispers at whispers.

“Maria advised we should get her at least seven of everything, for now.” Jarvis pulls out a list on a yellow paper and walks to a saleswoman who is all smiles.

“Raven,” Tony whispers, he hates buying clothes especially if it’s not for him. He likes Raven, so shopping for clothes is less boring.

Raven turns to him, “I saw some books,” Tony points to a small shelf of kid’s books and hopes he can find one Raven likes, so what if she is older than himself, she is still a kid. Raven nods and they walk off.

“Don’t go too far.” Jarvis calls out and walks with the lady who is making comments and recommendations for possible items.

Tony and Raven make it to the books, “Most of them are for little kids.” Raven frowns a little, Tony walks around and sees more, “how about this side?” Raven walks to meet him and they scan the titles.

“Look at her,” Tony hears another boy say, “hanging around that nerd.” Tony stiffens recalling that voice.

“Looks like he is alive,” another boy’s voice calls as they walk closer, “hey Stark!”

Tony frowns, “ignore them.” He whispers to Raven. “Stark! We thought you ran away!” the first boy shouts.

“Hey, blondie, how did you get stuck babysitting that little dweb?” the first boy calls.

Raven glances at Tony, who sighs, “Raven don’t.” Tony tries but knows that set frown and narrowing of eyes.

The second they laugh, Raven turns to see two boys both a little taller than her so she makes herself a little taller to be their height and manages to look down at them. The first boy to talk has dark brown hair and the other boy had short buzz cut blonde hair.

“Come on, you look like you need to have some fun. Stark can handle himself.” The first boy smiles, his oddly tilt of his nose more prominent with his smile. Raven walks to the boys both in uniform; white dress shirts, navy blue pants and black almost dress shoes. Raven smiles sweetly hiding the anger Tony knows she is filling up on, “Oh, go with you?”

“Yeah, ditch the kid and let’s go have some fun.” The other boy smiles just enough to show some of his crooked teeth and front slightly larger teeth. Raven will admit that they both are on the nicer looking scale but the way they talked to Tony and about him, she finds them ugly.

“Why would I ever do that?” Raven slows her walk, narrowing her eyes and slightly tilts her head as she asks. The boys are a little taken aback before gaining their footing, “because we are better company than they idiot. We can show you better things than _books._ ”

“Really?” Raven’s voice almost wondering and curious.

“Don’t get to close to that freak, he likes to pretend he is a grown up, look he’s no-” the blonde boy’s nasty words are cut off by Raven’s quick and final, “no.”

“You two look like a pair of dim wits, not even bright enough to match a burnt-out lightbulb.” Raven begins to walk closer; close enough to almost touch and maybe she made herself an inch or two taller than them for force them to look up just a little to meet her eyes. “You call him a freak or whatever else you four IQ brains can come up wi--”

“Having your girlfriend stand up for you Stark?” The dark brown haired boy tries to sound mocking but his voice cracks near the end.

“Not my girlfriend.” Tony says dismissingly. Raven steps close to the dark brown haired, brown eyed boy, “ _I_ was talking.” Raven almost growls, “look at me.”

The boys try to glare back, “what do you know, you’re just a stupid girl, just as bad as Stark.” The blonde boy shoots back.

“A stupid girl?” Raven turns to him and holds her hands stiff by his sits, hands balling up her dress, “say it again, to my face.”

“You’re just a stupid girl!” The preteen shouts, before pushing her and Raven grins at them. She won’t touch them, she could punch them, but she wants see how much Mr. Jarvis care.

“Ow!” She shouts and that gives the boys more confidence. They walk closer to her and push her again, “not so tough anymore?” they mock.

Raven lets the third push drop her and Tony runs to her to see her looking up from the spot she hit. She makes herself the same height as she was in the house, and glares.

“That hurt!” Raven almost shouts, her eyes watering up and letting the tears sit, ready to run when needed. Tony looks at Raven, hands reaching to her, trying to help up.

“I guess the freak would get along with a idiot of a girl, he-”

Before the boys could finish taunting them Jarvis is in sight with the sales lady behind them, “Raven, what happened?” he calls out his voice covering anger and Raven turns to him a little surprised, she knew he would care, but not enough to get mad about.

Jarvis looks at Raven’s watery eyes, her place on the floor and Tony trying to keep his eyes on the boys as he tries to help Raven up.

“They called us names.” She said in a near sob, “when I tried to get them to stop, they pushed me to the ground.” Fake crying, her second-best skill aside from her shape shifting.

“Tony?” He checked on Tony who nods in agreement. He swiftly turns to the boys who are looking a little scared but ready to stand up to Jarvis.

“I hope you know that you two will be in deep trouble.” Jarvis looks at the lady who is pale as paper. The shorter of the two looks at her almost as if finally realizing who she was, his face goes white and Tony remembers Jared, the second boy to talk from the pair, saying his aunt was a saleswoman.

“Jared Harold Jones!” She calls in a low and threatening tone Tony has heard more times than he wants to remember, “and you, Daniel, I’m ashamed of you two.” The first of the boys looks at Raven and glares.

“She started it! Jared and I were just going to look at the books when Stark told her that we were idiots and she laughed. We were ignoring them when she got all in our face! I swear they started it!” Daniel lies.

As the sales lady began to call the bully’s names, Tony helped Raven and Jarvis checked her over for any kind of injury.

“Lies,” Tony frowns. “There is footage proving they began saying things to us, it will show you that it happened as Raven said.” Tony informs the boys and the lady sighs, “I know them, I’m sorry.”

Jarvis frowns, “No, I’m sorry.” Jarvis grabs a hold of the kids’ hands one in each of his hands, “Sorry to think this was the kind of place I could leave Mr. Stark to show his friend around, turns out this place is not safe for that. I do apologize that this has become such a hostile shop. I will have to inform Mr. Howard and Mrs. Maria Stark about how their son and his friend were treated.” Jarvis walks with the two kids away from the small shelf, leaving behind all the clothes he and the saleswoman picked for Raven.

In the drop of the names the lady’s eyes widen a little when it clicks exactly who the kid was. Yeah, Stark is not a common name but many people had tried to claim the name, so the name slid pass her, this week alone two men have claimed to be brothers to Howard Stark.

“No!” The lady calls out and pulls the boys’ ears, “apologize to Mr. Stark and his!”

Tony looks over to Raven who is working hard to hide a smile from creeping on her lips, “No need.” She sniffles making a show or trying to be the bigger person.

“Mr. Jarvis, I don’t want to stay here longer,” she rubs her back a little, “my back hurts.” She whispers and the woman’s eyes widen more, and Tony wants to laugh, “I’m so sorry,” she cries out.

“We’re sorry.” The two boys say in unison not meaning a word and Tony gets a funny feeling school is going to be hell, a bigger hell.

“Jarvis, it’s fine, we can just go to another shop, no need to bring mother and father into this; this has been handled and they are busy.” Tony looks up at Jarvis, “We do have an event to get ready for,” he turns to the lady and gives her a mock of what his father’s charming smiles he gives random women, all younger than his mother, “I think we are fine here, I do hope you have a better day. Good day.”

Jarvis nods and they walk out, but not before hearing the woman smack both boys and scream at them about possibly getting fired and parents being called. Tony is defiantly going to get it when school starts up again.

“Young master,” Jarvis begins but Tony cuts him off, “let’s just find another store, there are more suited ones for Raven.”

Jarvis turns to Raven before getting on one knee, “Are you hurt?” Raven shakes her head, “a little but it’s fine.”

Jarvis pets her head and Raven might come to like those warm large hands petting her head or holding her much smaller one. They walk down the street and into a more upscale shop where Tony begins to look at clothes, he doesn’t like clothes shopping but making his own would be fun, if only in his head; adding more pockets with more space, giving some small room for tools or paper and lining it with a thin flexible layer of metal or plastic to keep the water out and keep the paper from wrinkling on rainy days.

“Can I get a white dress?” Raven asks in a whisper to Tony who nods, “Jarvis, she wants a white dress.” He calls out distracted by his thoughts missing a slightly hurt look from Raven which is quickly chased when Jarvis comes to lead her to a long rack wall of dresses for girls.

After picking two white dresses, two shirts and four blouses, two pairs of jeans, three shorts, and one dress pants that Raven is sure match a suit she has seen in Tony’s close and another pair that matches some of Tony’s own dress pants in a lighter shade of blue. As Jarvis lays out the clothes Raven is smiling at the saleswoman who always said she looked beautiful in everything and even if she a little too tall or short for some of the clothes, the saleswoman reassured her they would tailor them to her measurements. Raven stands still waiting as the woman lays the measuring tape ling her arms, legs, chest, waist and every part of her. Jarvis makes a comment about her going through a growth spurt soon and the lady nods, “I’m give her a little room here and there, if you need them to be fixed after, bring the article of clothing back and we will fix them.”

Raven nods and looks at Tony who is just looking at the boy’s clothes then turns to the girls side as he mumbles, “Mr. Jarvis,” Raven whispers and Jarvis looks down as her before noticing her gaze and follows it as the woman finishes around her ankles, “Tony needs paper and pencil.” Jarvis pulls out a small note pad and pen from his pants pocket and walks to Tony. Raven watches as Tony takes the supplies and quickly begins to write. Jarvis walks back, “Ms.” He looks at the lady, “I’ll pay for the clothes now.”

As Jarvis goes to pay for the clothes Raven walks to Tony to see he was drawing clothes, or parts of shirts or pants, and adding words and numbers that didn’t make much sense to Raven. She stands by glancing ever now and then at things Tony writes about.

“Time to go.” Jarvis calls out and Raven watches as Tony quickly puts the pen and pad away and walks to Jarvis in a hurry, “Will we go back now?” Raven asks. Jarvis nods. She smiles and settles in with her clothes by her feet and Tony at her side.

The ride back was filled with Tony reading more from his math text book and Raven dosing off until they got back.

Jarvis calls for a maid to take Raven’s clothes to her closet and sort them.

Tony walks to his room to do more work, Raven follows planning on working on her puzzle.

Tony gets another good portion of his work done when Maria gets back and Tony sees she has been gone for over three hours, closer to five but he doesn’t comment. She calls Jarvis to get the kids dressed for dinner. Tony sighs, guest.

“Mother, how many?” Tony asks as he walks down first. He is in his light blue dress shirt, dark blue almost black silk tie, and his dress pants to match his tie.

Maria frowns, “I have them, Jarvis says he will bring them down when he is done with Raven.” Tony answers before his mother asks, in truth, Tony give his vest and cuff links to Raven to hold because it was a little too big and if his mother looks at it a little too long, she would notice. She always notices but most of the times will not say anything to him, just have a maid or Jarvis fix it.

A month with barely a meal a day tends to make a person look smaller, thinner and Tony is surprised his mother has not commented on it. Jarvis just keeps giving him worry looks and is more affectionate, that Tony does not mind,

“Very well, go to the living room and start playing.” Maria instructs Tony and he walks off. Tony hates that he knows how to play, even if his hands are not large enough for a player, he was told that as he gets older he might have piano playing hands, all just meaning that if he was really into the playing having long fingers and larger hands would work best.

He has a whole set of songs ready that his mother approves of and with years of practice he plays rather well, he is no Beethoven but he can play some of his.

He starts with Chopin, being his mother’s favorite and works from there. He keeps his ear out for the door and when he hears it, he lets his Beethoven piece end as it should before standing and noticing Raven sitting in a chair right next to the door with his vest and cufflinks in hand. Tony walks to her and puts the vest on quick and buttons it before taking the links and fixing them right. He needs to make it to the dining room, “Of course. It’s not problem. Charles also took classes, though he didn’t learn much.” Tony hears a man’s voice, rough and flat with his answer.

“Well, Tony and Raven should be coming-oh!” Maria spots them walking in and waves them over once, they walk to her not looking at Charles’ mother and _stepfather_ Charles supplies to them. They stand one on each side of Maria, “Sharon, Kurt, this is my son Anthony, and his friend, Raven.” Maria rest a hand on their shoulder. “Anthony, Raven, these are Charles’ parents, sadly his brother could not make it.”

“He is currently visiting my parents.” Kurt, a tall pale man answers, his dark hair parted to a side making him look like a villain from those movies Tony was not allowed to watch but bribed a few maids into letting him watch a movie or so with them on their days off. Charles gives Tony a half smiles _He is not always bad._

“Nice to meet you.” Tony offers; he is getting a little tired of this nice act. He wants to go back to finishing his paper load and then to his project, get it ready for his father. He wants to go back to his room and be with Raven and Charles.

“I hope you are hungry.” Maria smiles and Charles looks at his mother than Kurt before they nod and he walks around them to smile at Tony and Raven. Maria sits the kids on Tony’s side, and Charles’ parents in front of them as she takes Howard’s place at the end of the table to host.

“Let’s eat.” Maria waves the maids in to serve the first course. Raven was given a quick run through of what she should do and not do, of how to sit and what spoon and fork to use and when. There were as many items on the table as their lunch but only this time they were above her plate as well as beside her plate. She was glad no one decided to add any below her plate. Her side with Tony and Charles, they only had a glass of water, a shorter glass with nothing and a tea cup, while the adults had three kinds of wine glasses, Jarvis told her the names but its easer to remember wine glasses.

“Well mannered.” Raven looks up to see Kurt smile at her, Charles frowns and Tony looks at his mother, “how long did you say she was staying?” Kurt asks politely and Tony doesn’t look away from his food, he will not give his mother his pleading eyes, he will not glace at Raven worried, nor will he let Charles hear his thoughts, he thinks of the songs he just played while imagining brick walls surrounding his more private thoughts.

“I’m not sure as of yet, but she seems to be a good influence on Anthony.” Maria smiles, Tony brings his spoon to his mouth giving him something to do.

“Well, Charles could use a good influence,” Sharon gives a small chuckle and Tony looks at Raven to see her sitting up straight and looking more like his mother than herself.

The topic is changed to Maria’s charity events and Kurt’s projects which Tony doesn’t try to keep up with and Charles explains a little to him as Kurt talks.

“Of course.” Maria smiles, “I will talk to Howard about it.” Tony frowns, he understands what they are talking about but not as to why Ho-his father would be wanted or needed, his father does military contracts.

“Well, if we are done, we can go to the living room and talk while we let the children go upstairs, Anthony still has some homework to do.” Maria smiles politely, a fake politeness Tony can see with greater ease than normal.

“I don’t know if-”

“Of course, then maybe we can talk you into having us over when Howard is around.” Kurt smiles and Tony’s gut sinks. Sharon nods to Charles and Tony looks at his mother who nods and he walks the two older kids to his room. Charles narrows his eyes as Kurt walks closer to Maria than his mother.

“If you want, you can go to Raven’s room, I really do have some homework that must be finished before father comes home tomorrow.” Tony walks to his desk quick to pick up his pencil and starting his work. Raven sits on the ground where she was before leaving for the store and begins her puzzle, “come on, sit.” She pats the ground next to her. Charles sits getting whispers in his head from his stepfather:

_They have a lot more money._ _I could finally do human trails. Howard will be easy, his wife is just as easy._

“Are you okay?” Raven asks looking at Charles almost disgusted look, “are you sick?”

“Sicken more like.” Charles whispers. “Never mind that, what are you working on?” Raven begins to tell Charles of her puzzle.

“I fear I was never one for those kinds of puzzles, but chest, I really like it.” Charles smiles. Raven frowns, “only old people play chess.”

Tony stacks his finished paper on the finished stack to his right and keeps working.

Raven and Charles work on the star puzzle as Charles tells them stories about past attempts at puzzles and how most of them ended up missing a piece or five. Tony off handedly comments he lost it intentionally with his mind, before going back to work and ignoring the other two in his room. He _needs_ finish his work.

When a knocking comes to the door, Raven looks up from the ground where she felt would be better to listen to Charles from. Charles looks up to see the same older man who came with Maria to pick Tony up from his house.

“Mr. Xavier, your mother has called for you, they are leaving.” Jarvis, Charles hears from Raven, announces almost regretful.

“Jarvis, can’t h-” Raven begins when Tony stands, “I will walk down with him.” He fixes his vest and Charles follows, he will not look into Tony’s mind unless he wants him to, they are now friends, or like Raven said the night before, brothers; unlike Cain, Tony means well and tries to prove it even if he seems cold about it now.

“I’m coming too.” Raven gets up. “besides, Charles was telling us stories and I want the star puzzle story next.”

Tony fights a smile and walks ahead of the two with Jarvis by his side.

“We should get going as soon as Charles gets down.” Kurt smiles politely.

“Would it be a great bother if I asked him to spend one night here?” Tony smiles, “I could use help with some of my work and he could help.”

“Mrs. Xa-Marko, could you please allow us to keep Charles for one night?” Raven ask sweetly and her bright blue eyes looking into hers. Her slip and following correction dismissed.

“Seems the children have gotten attached,” Maria comments with lightness in her voice Tony is not too use to, “if you don’t mind, it would be no problem to me.”

Sharon looks over to her husband who looks like he is thinking about it before sighing and answering, “If it’s no problem, it would give us an excuse to come talk when Howard is here.” He smiles and Tony can feel his fake smile, a smile that is given but not felt, the kinds his father gives when nudged by his mother.

“Wonderful.” Maria smiles as she looks at the kids.

“Thank you so much, Mrs. Marko!” Raven smiles delighted, “Thank you, Mr. Marko!” She repeats looking at the man. He nods and Sharon looks at her son.

“We’ll see you tomorrow.” She waves as they walk out. Tony doesn’t miss the fact that Kurt didn’t say anything nor that Sharon just waved with almost cold words. They say their goodnights to his mother and go back to his room.

“I will finish my last few pages tomorrow.” Tony announces and Raven smiles as she jumps on his bed before falling on it arms and legs spread out trying to cover as much of the bed as possible.

“Where will I sleep?” Charles asks and Tony smiles, “here of course.”

Tony begins to pull out clothes for Charles, looking for his biggest clothes because Charles a bit taller than Tony and his mother always bought him clothes that would fit him right. When he walks out holding a pair of plaid pajama bottoms and a large tee shirt Charles smiles, “mother would have a fit if she ever show me in those.” He gets up and walks to Tony before walking back in the walk-in closet and changes.

“I miss your blue.” Tony lays next to her, “it’s safe in my room, Jarvis always comes in first.” Raven nods before changing back to blue and slightly preening when Tony compliments her white dress to her blue skin, “I mean I don’t know much about fashion, but I really like the blue and white going on.”

“Can I take the dress off? It’s getting itchy.” She whispers and Tony nods, when she is blue she hardly has clothes on. Tony guesses it has to do with the few scales he sees around her body, some more prominent in different areas.

“Come on, lets get that star puzzle and work on it until Jarvis tells us to sleep?” Tony offers and Raven gets up to run to the puzzle and takes her shoes off before getting back on the bed.

“Can I join?” Charles smiles when he sees Tony instructing Raven which piece would fit better and hinting that she might or does have the right piece to keep going. Tony nods and they help. Charles can solve the puzzle but he doesn’t like them.

Another knock on the door comes and Raven changes to her day skin with the same white dress and all, “come in!” Tony calls and Jarvis opens the door just enough for him to walk in and smile. He looks at the ground and closes the door before walking in; the older man begins to pick of the books and puzzles left on the floor when Raven and Tony rush to help, Charles stands by the bed uncertain, “I came to make sure you were going to bed soon,” Jarvis begins as he finishes fixing the box with its belongings, “and to ask if Ms. Raven would like to sleep here or in her room.”

“No.” Raven walks back to the bed as Jarvis stands.

“Very well, would you like me to wake you in the morning?” Jarvis looks at Raven but addressing Tony.

“Yes, but wake us before seven, father should be back around noon, no later than five, mother said.” Tony tells the butler his voice getting distant the more he talked about Howard.

“Of course.” Jarvis places the box in the closet and walks into the room door again, “anything you would like the Reid to make for breakfast?”

“English muffins?” Charles smiles and Tony nods, “Very well, I’ll have Reid notified.” Jarvis smiles before wishing them good night and walking out, closing the door behind him.

Charles smiles, “it’s been a while since I last had them, mother doesn’t like the taste of them.”

Tony and Raven just look at him for a moment before going back to the puzzle and Raven finally finishes it with Charles as he hold a few pieces and Tony hold another few, “Done!” She giggles.

As they lay in bed ready to sleep they all make their own wishes to the stars that peak in from the slightly open curtain of

Tony’s room window. The moon light barely lighting the room as the light is turned off.

_I want to have a family again._

****

**_I wish they stay with me, forever and happy._ **

_ Can I please just keep this one good thing? _

They lie together; Raven in the middle and a boy on each side holding on to her as if life would take the others any moment just for its own entertainment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would like to thank everyone who has given this story a shot, and an extra THANK YOU to ElectricalChart for giving more to think about. I like to answers to comments, even if it takes a while to answer. I have tried to answer them when I get a chance. 
> 
> I hope everyone is staying safe and being careful.


	5. You Win Some, You Lose Some

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm late. I know. Life outside of this has not been the best. Things get tough and it's hard to get out of a mindset that creeps up and then knocks you down the second you let your guard down.
> 
> Though an up side has been the release of Umbrella Academy and then that hit me in the feels. If any of you watched it, let me know what you think of the second season.

Come morning Jarvis wakes them and after breakfast Tony finishes his work, Charles tries to teach Raven chess, and fails because she doesn’t like it, and Jarvis tells them about the TV room that Maria had allowed them to use, or Tony’s small lab. They went to the lab because Tony wanted to show them around. There was a lot more parts and writing than actual chemicals and robots. Raven looks in awe and Charles finds it a little reminiscent because his father once let him go in his home lab for a while and he hoarded that memory.

Lunch came around and so did the Marko’s, Howard came nearly an hour later.

“What kind of assignment was he on?” Kurt asks talking into the silence.

“Some military contract or another, he told me he would be gone for a week.” Maria smiles. As she finishes her sentence the front door opens, and Tony hears him.

“I don’t care, just take it.” Howard growls and as he makes way in, taking his coat off and handing it to a maid, along with his hat and briefcase, he walks to the living room to meet all the guest. As he looks around the room his eyes stop on Raven for a moment longer than Charles and then to his wife.

“Good afternoon, everyone.” He smiles or tries but he gives a mix of a smile and grimace. “I just got off a plane and I am tired.” He walks to his wife and sits next to her, “but Maria tells me” he looks at Kurt, “you have something you wish to talk to me about?” Kurt nods and Howard gestures for him to get up and follow. Maria watches both men leave out the room before dismissing Tony and Raven, Sharon follows suit and nods Charles to follow the other two.

“You do know father will not agree to what Kurt is going to offer, right?” Tony sighs as they make their way to the back of the mansion. Charles nods.

The trio runs around, playing like kids and not long after Kurt is calling Charles to leave; Howard stays in his study.

“Howard is going to sleep for a while, but when he wakes, he promised to talk about Raven.” Maria gives them a small smile, “Anthony I hope you finished your work?”

“Yes, it’s all done.” Tony nods and Raven tries not to feel too anxious about Howard’s waking.

Time goes by and Tony finally tells Raven the Star Puzzle story, Raven likes it but tells Tony its really stupid.

When Howard wakes up he calls them to his study, Tony and Raven sitting in the two chairs in front of his large mahogany desk and Maria by his side, standing and giving Raven a smile.

“Tony, where is your work?” He cut first to Tony and Tony lays the papers in front of Howard who passes them to Maria, “have the tutor look it over.” She nods and he cuts this stare to Raven. She watches as his eyes look at her hair, her eyes, her baby blue dress Tony told her to wear, and then he is not looking at her. His eyes look through her, almost remembering.

“What’s your name?” Howard asks softly.

“Raven.”

“How old are you?”

“Twelve.”

Howard looks at her again and whispers, “a little too small for a normal twelve year old,” before bringing his voice back to normal, “Where are you parents?”

“I assume they are home or maybe they finally moved away like they promised.” Raven says with a little of anger in her words but calms down, “they left me on the streets one night and when I woke up I was lost and I had a note on me.”

“What did the note say?”

“They didn’t want to see me again.” Raven whispers, “they couldn’t kill me, they tried so they left me on my own a year ago.”

Tony sits still wanting to get up and hold her hand, maybe a hug? He is not really sure if he could. Or if he is allowed.

“They did?” Howard’s voice went cold and Tony turns his head to him quick and listens intensely, when his voice goes that icy Tony knows he fucked up, he is not sure what he did this time, or didn’t do, as most often is the case. “Would you like them to be punished for leaving you?” Tony tries not to show how confused he is. Howard rarely asked permission, he was more of a ‘I can do what I want because I’m a genius and I’m rich’ kind of guy.

“No,” Raven whispers, “I rather not even see them again.”

Howard nods and Tony flicks his eyes to look at his mother who is covering her mouth and her eyes tearing up, “Sweetie.” She whispers. Tony is hit with a slight pang of jealously but quickly smothers it remembering why this is happening.

“So, can I stay?” Raven whispers looking Howard in the eyes with large bright blue eyes.

“Give me ‘til the evening and I will have an answer.” Howard pulls out some papers, “you may go now.” Raven stands and looks at Tony who shakes his head, Raven was dismissed, not him.

“Maria had told me you have a room, head up to it, I’m sure the servants have it almost ready.” Howard gives her one last glace and quickly turns to Tony. Raven nods and walks out, “Maria, does she have proper clothes for this evening?” Maria nods, “then tell her how she will be expected to behave. Tony and I have some talking to finish.”

Raven hears Maria walk but pause at the door, she stops on the other side of the doors hoping to hear Maria protest to stay. She is met with disappointment when Maria walks out, face a little pale and sadden.

“Let’s go upstairs, Raven.” Maria smiles as she practically pushes Raven up. Not quick enough to hear Howard beginning to shout, “You insolent child!” Raven could make her way back, force Howard to stop, but then if they find out about her then they will make her leave like her real parents and Tony wouldn’t have anyone.

As Howard begins his shouting Maria begins to talk with fake happiness, “Are you excited about this even?”

Raven half nods, her thoughts on Tony.

“You insolent child!” Howard stands from his chair in full anger. Tony doesn’t flinch, or tries not to, he is not sure is he does or doesn’t. “You run away like one of those common things and make your parents look like idiots when asked about you! When we finally said you went missing, because telling them you ran away would have damage our image greater, they asked if something was wrong in the house! Do you know how much your mother suffered from your stunt?” Howard shouts arms expressing his anger. Tony looks at him in the eyes, still seated, but makes sure his hands are in view as his father walks to him.

“Stupid!” Howard shouts once more before grabbing Tony by his collar with both hands, pulling him up from the chair, and shakes him a bit, “You imbecile, hard to believe you came from me and your mother.” Howard gives Tony a hard shove, knocking Tony to the ground with a hard thump. “Get yourself up. I want you to go out tonight and tell them you were doing some stupid project. I don’t care want you really say, no, I do, I’ll have Jarvis come up with something.” Howard growls before sighing “get out of my damn sight. I will finish this tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir.” Tony stands up slowly careful to not move his right arm too much, it gave a nasty pop when he fell and he really hopes it’s not broken, out of place maybe, please just be dislocated. He quickly walks out not saying a word and makes his way down to Jarvis’ room. He will figure out what’s wrong.

“Jarvis.” Tony knocks on the butler’s room. He is not really sure but maybe he is in the room.

“Come in.” Jarvis’ voice comes through and Tony walks in, “I see.” He says as Tony walks in with his right arm around his stomach and his left holding it there. Jarvis is quickly to see Tony dislocated his elbow and Tony cries in pain as Jarvis pushes it back in.

“For running away?” Jarvis asks. Tony nods, “he wants you to come up with a creditable reason as to why I was gone, and they didn’t know.”

Jarvis sighs, “I have it ready,” he undoes Tony’s shirt sleeve and slowly rolls it up. “I knew he would. Tony,” Jarvis says as he begins to rub heating gel on Tony’s elbow. Tony looks away from the door to look at Jarvis, “does Raven know?”

Tony nods, “don’t tell father!” he pleads. Jarvis frowns, “I won’t.”

Jarvis finishes with the heating gel and unrolls Tony’s sleeve back down and buttons it, “I hope you have told Raven that she can trust me.” Tony gives him a smile not all there but no less felt.

“I have.” He whispers, “She just doesn’t believe it fully herself.” Tony pauses. Jarvis keeps rubbing the gel on Tony’s elbow and gives him time to come his words.

Tony goes back to his room half an hour later wanting his mom and Raven and Jarvis all together and just pile together like those families on TV.

Raven waits on Tony’s bed as Maria calls her PA to help her get Raven something to wear. Raven has a feeling Maria had wanted a baby girl and Howard a boy, looks like it’s a family motto, ‘Howard’s way or no way.’

“How about this?” Serra holds out a light pink dress in front of Maria with Raven’s face still peaking from the top of the dress from Maria’s view.

Maria shakes her head and they look again, until Tony walks in, stiff and Raven can see it. Maria smiles at him, “Tony, mind changing? We are going to leave in two hours and with how your father takes his time, it will be three hours or ten minutes.”

Tony looks at her with half lit eyes and nods, his mother always calls him Tony afterwards. Always, must be guilt.

“Come on, Raven. We will finish in your room.” Serra smiles and Raven shakes her head and looks at Tony. “You can’t be in here while he changes.” Maria puts in.

“Why?” Raven asks challenge growing with every second she watches Tony slowly walk to his closet. She really forgets Tony is only ten and not twelve like her or older, he acts like he is and she likes having that, but he is still younger, a little kid who is hurt and his mother didn’t stop it. Raven is beginning to see how things work here, not just ‘Howard’s way or no way’ but ‘lick your wounds in private and show them your most winning smile.’

“Because I’m sure you’re old enough to how boys and girls are different.” Maria says, voice slowly losing her warmth and excitement from a few moments before.

“I am, and I’m also old enough to see when my friend needs my help.” Raven stands and begins to hold most of Tony’s weight, leading him from his closet to his bed. Maria shoos Serra away, Tony doesn’t look too happy about that.

“Raven, please listen to my mother.” Tony whispers, “I’m have to change.”

“And I’m going to help.” Raven slowly sits him on the bed.

Maria sighs and looks for Tony’s closet, “I hope you don’t keep this attitude for long.” She gives them both a pained look before walking out, and Raven hears her walk to her room.

Tony frowns at her, “why did yo-”

Tony doesn’t finish because Raven is giving him a cold detached look as she scans him over. Besides, if Howard is really unpredictable in changing might as well get it over as to not give him for fuel for his anger. “Shut up and change.” She smiles.

Raven helps Tony change his clothes and she sees all his other wounds, most of them healed with scaring tissue or dark marks, all but a spot Raven knows will be a bad looking bruise just below his right elbow. She doesn’t ask, just lets her anger packed away, she wants to stay.

Tony gets dressed with Raven’s help; she goes to change into the dress Maria or Serra left her on her bed with matching shoes and a hair tie.

On their way to the event Tony looks over the cards Jarvis gave him, ‘I was scared but I knew my dad would work endlessly to find me.’ The cover story was a kidnapping, Howard has powerful friend, not really friends, who helped him get it set just deep enough for the reports if they want to get the ‘major scoop of the decade.’

“Smile, you helped him find his way home.” Howard smiles at Raven. Her role and verdict were made by Jarvis.

“I saw him and knew something was wrong.” Raven begins, she really is bad at telling stories. “After days of looking for ways out, I was able to take him but, on our way, we got lost.”

“We ended up finding the Xavier manner house and from there we went home.” Tony sums it up. There was a lot more flesh to the story but it’s just a summary of the whole ‘ordeal’ and really, Tony doesn’t want to talk about it, which is what he can and should say if asked about his time captured.

“Do you remember the faces of your captures?” A reporter shouts and Tony looks at him, face blank, “I don’t wa-” he begins when Howard cuts in, “Anthony is trying to get back to his life, do refrain from bringing up that event.”

Tony turns to his mother and walks with her as his father takes the spotlight and gets their attention as they walk in; he doesn’t let himself make that moment bigger than it is, his father didn’t do it for him, no he did it for himself, he must have seen Tony about fuck it up again. Tony is sure he was going to say the right thing, but his father always knows and maybe it’s a small kindness.

Raven wants to frown at Howard but she knows her role, she knows that every movement will be captured and analyzed in depth, if she messes up, she might end up where she was before Tony, she much prefers staying by Tony.

“Girl! Hey! How was it to go from a street kid to living in a mansion with the Starks?” Another reporter shouts. Tony has to give her props, she is handling it better than he thought.

“Better.” Raven smiles and keeps up with Maria who is ignoring the flashing lights and shouting in order to make it in the building.

As soon as they make it inside, Howard is behind them and they are making their way to their table, front and center as Howard ordered. They wait for the first spokes man to talk and from there two more people talk about what the charity has done and finally they call Maria up. Tony looks at the people on the stage and glances at Raven who is looking bored and looking at the other people in the large ball room.

“Thank you, Dr. Smith,” Maria begins, “I know that I’ve helped in a handful of charities and I would like to say that it’s always my pleasure. Having a husband who is constantly giving-” Tony half listens as he watches Raven change her hand, her eyes, nose, small things and then glances at Howard making sure he didn’t see her.

“It’s always good to help,” Maria goes on and Tony looks at her, her eyes on Howard. Tony looks to Howard to see he was writing something down and he gives a small sigh, because of course he would, can’t stop genius.

Tony pats Raven’s hand and shakes his head, she stops changing and listens to Maria, her speech goes for another five minutes and she ends it introducing another major donator. As she walks back Tony watches Howard. This will just mean more drinking, again.

“In an hour.” Maria whispers to Raven. Raven nods and sits quietly as the people talk. Tony knows more of the speeches all ready, they are all basically the same, ‘I gave the money because I care, because it felt good, because I was outdone last year’ really, he just wants to get home.

When the socializing begins, Raven and Tony are instructed to behave and they would be allowed to visit Charles. So, they do, as much as they can. Raven maybe changes into an army general and tells a few people he is going to poop or Tony talks circles around people as Raven works to pick pockets just for wallets and placing the items taken in a different pocket to confuse the owner. All in all, most of the guest ask about Raven and Howard smiles as he tells them, “she helped get my son back. We decided that instead of sending her to be ward of the state, she would be a ward of the Stark house.” Tony once more feels a pang of jealousy because Howard sounds so proud when talking about Raven but never that proud when talking about him.

As the night ends and they leave, Howard is a little too drunk and Maria is talking to the reporters answering for the tired-out kids. Tony leads Raven to the car.

That night Tony is called into the study again and Raven follows.

“Raven, go to your room. I called Anthony.” Howard gives her kind eyes and Tony envies how much his parents have come to ‘love’ Raven in a few hours.

“Tony promised me a story.” Raven tries, Howard’s voice goes kind, “He will join you once I talk to him, please go to your room.”

Tony doesn’t look at Raven and waits, Raven turns to leave, hoping that would be something to keep Tony from getting hurt. She slowly walks out and starts to make to the stairs hoping to hear if something happened to jump in quick. She doesn’t for five minutes before reaching the bottom stairs and slowly makes it to the room she has been sleeping in for the past two nights.

“Anthony,” Howard starts, voice low and menacing. In the moment Tony feels guilty about feeling envious, Raven hasn’t done anything wrong unlike him, she shouldn’t be talked to like he is about to. He messed up when he ran away, he knows, he just hopped that he was able to make something his father would be proud of when he came back. That in time, he would be someone his father could be proud of and his running away would be overlooked.

“You have made your mother worry.” Howard begins, voice low and Tony feels it coming, the drop of any emotion and a second later filled with disappointment, “I thought you were over these _childish acts_. Clearly I was wrong. You can always find new ways to disappoint and humiliate me.”

Tony takes a deep breath. Crying will only make his father angrier; he is already disappointed. Tony tries to keep his emotions together, but it hurts. Hearing it always hurts, even after Howard saying it to him at least once a month, it hurts more than when he broke his leg two years ago. It was his own fault for running off, he should have listened; he should have stayed.

“I will still be kind enough to allow Raven to stay.” Howard begins and the hurt and pain Tony was feeling eases a little. He knows a ‘but’ is coming so he keeps looking at his father.

“We will have her a tutor as well; we cannot do with a subpar child in this house.” Howard begins and Tony takes it. He can have Raven with him. “Wipe that smile off your face, boy.” Howard instructs and Tony stops his small smile. He goes back to a natural look and waits. He will not risk this, “She will study until she catches up with you. If your grades slip, she will be set to a boarding school. I am doing you a favor, do not ruin this, like you do everything else.” Howard looks down to his papers and picks up his glass of bourbon.

Tony nods, “I’ll work on it, father.”

“Say it like you mean it at least child.” Howard huffs, Tony takes a deep breath, “I’ll work on it.” Tony says more sternly and waits to be dismissed.

“I want to see you here again tomorrow at seven thirty. Your tutor will be finished with you work by then.” Howard waves a hand dismissing Tony. Tony stands and nods before turning and walking out.

He walks numbly to his room and is not surprised to see Raven sitting on his bed, in her white sleeping gown and waiting.

“Tony?” Raven ask cautiously. Tony smiles, he can do this, Raven needs to know, “father said you can stay. He will get you a tutor so we can go to school together.”

Raven smiles and gets up to hug Tony. Tony freezes as Raven comes running to him, arms open. He goes stiff when Raven hugs him and Raven frowns, “Tony, what are you not telling me?”

Tony shakes his head before wrapping his arms around her.

“No, Tony, we promised. What happened?” Raven says, voice stern and pulling from Tony to look him in the eyes. Tony shakes his head; he can’t talk about it. He will not say those things, besides, he deserved it. He was being childish and common, no way a Start hair should.

“I have to go to him again in the morning, my tutor should be done grading my papers.” Tony says as he pulls from Raven to grab his sleeping clothes, “I’m going to take a shower.”

Raven waits, she knows something is wrong Tony but if he doesn’t say, she can only assume and Tony hates that most. She waits on his bed for Tony to come out the bathroom that connects their rooms and when Tony walks out, Raven makes her way in and showers.

As they get into bed Raven turns to Tony.

“Tony, look at me.” Raven whispers, Tony turns to look her in her almost glowing yellow eyes.

“You are amazing. You are intelligent. You are everything to me.” She whispers and Tony nods. She told him this all before, she told him first after Tony told her about how he is not as great as Captain America.

“Tony.” Raven reaches to hold Tony’s head so he looks her in the eyes, “For me, I had a life before you and I have a life after you. You and Charles are my brothers. If anyone hurts you, I will hurt them. I promise you that I do care.” Raven keeps whispering.

Tony nods and places a hand over her left one laying on his cheek.

“Tony, make me a promise?” Raven smiles softly and Tony nods again.

“No matter what happens, I want you to promise me that even after the harshest he gives you, you will come to me? Please come to me?” Raven asks, it’s for her peace of mind and for Tony’s. She sees how Tony is quick to hide his wounds, how he won’t let her see them anymore, unlike when they were alone in the motel; Tony would tell her about an absent and distant father, a mother who tried but it was not enough and of a friend who tried to be there but his father would make him stay at bay.

“Raven.” Tony begins, his voice a little able a whisper, “I promise.”

A week of the new tutors, Howard’s constant belittlement of Tony’s work and what could be almost a praise of Raven’s has Jarvis wanting to take the kids and run.

Jarvis has worked for the Starks since Howard married Maria, then they had Tony and Jarvis fell in love with the boy, a love he once thought wouldn’t happen. He loves Tony like a son and it hurts him to see the man who is Tony’s father treat him so cruelly and yet the boy keeps trying to impress the man.

In the week he talks Raven down from doing things she would regret and have her removed from the house Tony was trying too hard to make her a permanent resident.

“Mr. Jarvis, if I ask to go see Charles, do you think they will let me?” Raven asks. Her voice quiet and full of pain he knows is for Tony.

“If you ask Mrs. Maria, she might let you. Tony will have to stay.” Jarvis makes sure to make a point of looking over to the closed door of Tony’s room. Just two hours before Tony locked himself in the room and locked to door of the bathroom connecting his room to Raven’s.

“You will keep him safe. If I stay, I will hurt them.” Raven whispers, voice going cold and Jarvis is glad Tony has another person to trust. The boy hardly had ‘friends’ and now, he has a sister.

“I will ask Mrs. Maria and let you know.” Jarvis stands from his crouched position he got in to talk to Raven.

“Thank you.” Raven walks to her room.

Tony hates everything Captain America.

He _hates_ everything he stands for.

Tony hates with as much as his heart can hate.

He slams his door shut, locks it and runs to the bathroom to lock those doors before he begins to cry. His hands tremble with pent up rage.

_I’m ashamed of you. Captain America would be ashamed. You should just go and remove his posters from your room. His poster self should not have to stuffer to see such a failure like you. Get out of my sight._

_I’m ashamed._

_Should not suffer to see such a FAILURE like YOU._

_FAILURE like YOU._

His father’s voice rings in his ears as he rips the posters from his wall. He uses his chair for the ones he can’t reach and shouts as he pulls them unevenly, leaving pieces still on the wall.

Tony looks at his bookshelf and has half a mind to begin throwing the books from it but Raven likes the bookshelf.

Raven.

The only good thing his father allowed.

The only good he did.

The only good his father sees.

Tony’s mind goes from longing to run to Raven and hide to a larger rage.

“Why?” He tries to shout but comes out as a choked sob.

He is never good enough, he can never be, so how is Raven good enough?

Raven can hear the cries and paper being torn. It pains Raven that Tony locked her out. She wants to be with Tony, to know the hurt he feels and make it better. She knows she can make it better. She _wants_ to try and make it better.

It takes another hour before Jarvis comes to her room and lets her know that Maria and Howard have allowed her to spend the day with Charles.

Tony spends three hours crying and throwing balled up parts of posters. He spends those same three hours wondering why he wasn’t more like Raven or Steve Rogers.

When Tony walks out his room, eyes slightly puffy, hands hurting and his body just feeling heavy with guilt. He was behaving like a child, something he knows he is not. He goes to look for Raven and finds her laying on her bed and a book bag by her bed.

“Raven?” Tony asks, voice weak and breaking at the end.

“Come on.” Raven slides over to let Tony’s smaller frame on her large bed.

“Where are you going?” Tony’s voice is raspy from the overused of muffled shouts and sobs.

“I’m going to see Charles, I want to give you space.” Raven whispers, a little apprehensive. Tony nods, feeling numb. Of course, Raven doesn’t want to stay with such a childish person like himself.

“I want some space to breath, I felt like it was my fault your father got mad at you.” Raven adds.

“No, it wasn’t you.” Tony answers quickly, “he was mad because of me. My inability to do simple things right. It had nothing to do with you.” Tony tries to reassure her but it seems to be the wrong thing to say because he can see her face go neutral and cold.

“I mean-” Tony’s back peddling is cut off by Raven’s cold and quick reply.

“No, you can do everything right, it’s Howard.”

Tony looks at her a little curious, “Father?”

“Tony, why do you keep trying to prove yourself to your father? He is unpleasable.” Raven’s voice loses the cold tone and come out tired.

Tony looks at her confused, “He is not unpleasable. He can make so many weapons and it pleases him. You’re work always seem to make him give smile. I’m just not good enough.”

Raven looks at Tony’s smaller face, his voice holding no resentment and just tells her, almost like he was presenting fact he knew fully to be true and there was no doubt in the world to ever be disproven.

“This is why. I will go to Charles’ house tomorrow and I’ll be back the following day. I want to see Charles too.” Raven adds and tries to ignore the slight hurt she sees in Tony’s small eyes. Eyes she knows shed too many tears for a man who would just turn his back to the boy instead of trying to comfort his son.

It becomes a thing, when tensions become too much with the Starks Raven goes to the Marko’s and spends a day or a week. On rarer occasions, Tony is allowed to go with her to spend some time with Charles.

Her time with the Marko’s is a little better until she finds out that Kurt’s son, Cain, bullies Charles.

“Charles?” Raven asks as she looks up from her book. She was led to Charles’ room to wait for Charles to get back from school.

“Raven.” Charles’ face lights up as it does when he sees either Raven, Tony or both come to see him.

“Charles,” Raven begins again, voice cold, “why are you limping?”

Charles stands straighter and forced to evenly look at Raven, “I was not.”

“Who?” Raven asks, “was it some kid from school? I can make him stop.” Raven stands and slowly walks to Charles.

“It’s nothing Raven, I tripped.” Charles smiles and Raven narrows her eyes, “Charles, you can’t lie to me. Who. Did. It?” Her voice going dangerous and even if Charles’ powers have slowly begun getting stronger, he knows he wouldn’t use them on her.

“Cain.” Charles deflates. He has been able to hide all the other marks, injuries and anything that would show what Cain does before Raven comes over but today, he was not given a heads up. Today he was too busy running from Cain and his friends in school. Charles knows he could be grades above but knowing that it would take him away from his mother, he has forced himself to show he is smart but not too much. Even if boarding school would take him away from Cain.

“That asshole.” Raven whispers and walks pass Charles. Charles tries to catch up to her, but his strained ankle only lets him move but so fast. So, he is only there in time to see Cain running from a king cobra slithering closer and trying to bite him.

Cain runs to a tree by the pond and tries to climb it, but his bigger bulk doesn’t let him get up in time before the snake bites his ankle. The red head lets go of the branch he managed to grab and falls to the ground as he shouts, “Dad! Dad!”

The snake hisses and jumps to bite him again. Cain begins to cry and shouts louder for someone. Charles wants to walk away but he knows it will go worse for him if Cain tells that Charles was there and did nothing. He sighs and tries to walk normally inside to tell his mother that something happened to Cain.

“Oh dear,” Sharon gasps as she reaches to help Cain stand, “I called Kurt, he will meet us at hospital.” She helps the teen to the car before she drives off leaving Charles and Raven alone in the house.

Charles makes his way to his room and is not surprised to see Raven laying in his bed in a tight coil, the King Cobra, “Raven, did you have to bite him?”

Raven hisses at him before laying her head down and takes in the sun, “please change back. It will not do me good if someone walks in to see the snake Cain claims bit him laying on my bed.”

Charles watches in open awe as Raven slowly changes from the King Cobra to her blonde haired, blue eye self.

“He had it coming. I told you, no one hurts my brothers and gets away with it.” Raven frowns, “besides, I don’t have venom, it might swell up because I bit near some nerves and muscle.”

Charles adds this to his mental book of _Everything Raven Can and Cannot Do._

“So, you can change mass, I knew that, but you can’t make the venom of a King Cobra when a King Cobra?” Charles asks to make sure he adds it correctly.

“Yeah, I tried it already. I was bored and Tony was working on a project his tutor left him.” Raven explains as she lays on the bed, her legs swinging as she talks.

  
“Could you if we made a synthetic version?” Charles asks interested and walks, limps, to his bed.

“Don’t know. Tony and I have tried to see what I can and cannot change into, we haven’t gotten to that.” Raven turns on her back and making room for Charles.

Charles lays down on his back looking at his ceiling, “maybe we can try? It would be something to fill your time here.”

Raven nods and rolls off the bed before turning into a fly and flying up to change back into her blue skin as she lands on her feet. Charles nods and Raven goes to close the door.

It takes four hours before Cain is back and left in his room. Raven smiles when she turns into a fly to hear what Kurt and Sharon think.

“He said a snake, Sharon.” Kurt hisses. Sharon sighs, “Kurt, the doctor said it-”

“The boy is an idiot! Saying a snake did it when the only kind we have seen are in the zoo!” Kurt shouts and Raven wants to do something about it, but Sharon has done nothing to have her to defend her but birth her brother.

“Yet he had two snake like bite marks.” She says, voice not changing from her bored tone. Raven looks at her and sees her eyes red, her hair ruffled and a slight tremble in her hands.

“I have some work to finish. I’ll be back in a few hours.” Kurt slams’ their room door shut. Raven leaves knowing what will happen next.

At least she doesn’t get violent like Howard, she just gets lost in her thoughts and hides herself in her private room.

“Where did you go?” Charles asks as he looks up from his notebook.

“Just went to fly.” Raven smiles and Charles will not ask.

Raven goes to bed in the room Sharon called hers and after everyone is asleep, she walks to Charles’. They stay up talking or seeing what the other can do.

\--

They live a relatively nice life. Tony working hard for his father, Charles exploring his powers and Raven’s while keeping them a secret from the rest of the world.

Until Raven does something about it for her brothers or her brothers for her. She doesn’t need them to make other sorry for messing with her but she likes the feeling of being loved when they do out of their way to hurt or ruin someone.

It’s good, its fine, then Charles comes home one day to see an ambulance at his front steps. He runs to it in time to see them cart a body covered by a white sheet and the light of the truck just flashing, no noise.

Charles barely fourteen gets into a fight with Cain. His mother three months deceased and Cain blaming it on Charles.

“It was your father!” Charles shouts as he jumps at Cain. The boy being a year older and a bigger build pushes Charles with ease.

“She drank herself into her grave!” Cain shouts back, “you were such a shame to her!” He pushes Charles into a door that opens with Charles’ momentum.

They throw fist, kicks and most of the blood spat on the floor was Charles’. Cain is fueled by his anger for his father and Charles’ by his anger for his stepbrother and stepfather.

“Boy!” Kurt shouts the moment he sees the two boys kept fighting into his lab. They don’t stop, Cain pushes Charles and he knocks some glasses over before running to Cain again, raw anger as he slams Cain to a different table and then in the moment they both feel as Kurt grabs them and a large wave of force push them.

Charles cannot hear anyone, not with his ears nor his mind, he looks around and he feels as Kurt keeps pulling him and Cain.

Charles turns to see the man who helped his son make his life hell without Raven or Tony, _sorry._

A voice, weak and familiar barges in Charles mind, the thoughts full of regret and pain, _I’m sorry Charles. Your father’s death-_ Charles can feel the thoughts but they blur, _accident!_

Charles turns to look at Kurt who is laying on the ground, eyes wet, blood pooling around him and he sees it, the glass shards from the lab. Kurt must have covered him and Cain when the lab exploded and pulled them out.

“Dad!” Cain shouts and Charles’ ears pick up on the shout, even if it was low and distant.

_I might have saved him…If I tried…But, I didn’t…Forgive me…_

There is a pause in the thoughts and slower breathing, Charles gets closer to Kurt then he hears it, the man’s actual voice, shallow and in pain, “Beware of Cain.”

His voice ragged, “When he finds out” He takes a deep breath struggling to stay awake, “about your powers.” Kurt finishes in a sigh of exhaustion and Charles watches as his face goes from pale and in pain to relaxed and blank.

Charles looks over to Cain who is struggling to get closer, his legs bleeding and his face stained with tears. Charles gets out the way and tries to stand.

He can hear Cain shouting for his dad to wake up and Charles knows it won’t happen, people always have thoughts in their head even in sleep, Kurt has no thoughts.

It’s a cold brush of wind to Charles’ mind and it makes him shiver knowing that he was always aware of Kurt’s mind even when he was at work. Now it’s empty and just like when his mother passed, the feeling makes him want to look for Raven and Tony, hear their thoughts and find some comfort in them.

\--

Tony sits on his bed writing down ideas for Raven to try when they go into the garden when he feels a cold wind in his mind. He turns to look at Raven who looks at him with a pale and confused look.

“Charles!” They both get up and run down to Jarvis.

\--

A funeral is held for Kurt.

Cain moves in with his paternal grandparents while Charles stays in the mansion with Howard and Maria Stark signing on as his legal guardians.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all of you who have commented, gave kudos or bookmarked. I really like seeing the hits going up. Even if it's four or just one person, I am posting this as my version of peace and seeing others liking it is a bonus.
> 
> I hope everyone is staying safe and reasonable during this time and after all of this.   
> Thanks again!!


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